Bacolod confirms four ASF cases in two villages

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The city government has confirmed four cases of African swine fever in two barangays following reports of hog mortalities last week.

Dr. Maria Agueda Dela Torre, head of the City Veterinary Office, said samples from two hogs in Bangga Riles, Barangay Alijis, and two others in Purok 5, Barangay Taculing, tested positive for ASF.

The samples were collected Monday, with results released Wednesday by the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Iloilo City.

Dela Torre said the affected areas will immediately be placed under cordon measures to contain the disease and prevent its spread to neighboring communities.

Mayor Greg Gasataya said border control measures are already in place, while surveillance and testing will continue to identify infected animals and protect unaffected hogs.

To support monitoring efforts, the city government allocated PHP 425,000 for five boxes of ASF test kits, with each box containing 96 kits.

Random sampling will begin at the city slaughterhouse Thursday, starting with five asymptomatic hogs.

According to the City Agriculture Office, Bacolod has more than 5,000 hogs and about 430 backyard hog raisers.

The CVO urged barangay officials to immediately report any unusual hog illnesses or deaths for prompt action.

Gasataya assured residents that the pork supply remains stable despite a decline in market prices, adding that the city will continue to monitor prices and implement measures to prevent the disease from spreading.

The CVO emphasized the importance of strengthening biosecurity practices, including disinfecting facilities twice a day, keeping pig pens clean at all times, limiting the entry of other animals into pig farms, and avoiding the use of swill feed for pigs.

Dela Torre called for the full cooperation of all stakeholders in implementing measures against ASF, stressing that these are mandated under national law.

Dela Torre noted that pork prices have declined and that, as of now, no new ASF cases have been reported.

She added that, as an importer of hogs, most of the city’s pork supply comes from outside the area.

The city has also maintained a ban on the entry of live pigs, pork, and pork products from areas with confirmed ASF cases, while quarantine checkpoints remain in place to inspect swine-related shipments.

Bacolod was declared ASF-free in June 2025 after meeting national recovery protocols.

In February 2024, the city also imposed controlled movement of pigs and pork products in line with national efforts to curb the disease.

Last week, Gasataya ordered the reactivation of the city’s ASF Task Force to reinforce prevention and response measures.

African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs but does not infect humans.

Meanwhile, Dr. Grace Tan, city health officer, clarified that ASF does not infect humans.

While people cannot contract ASF by eating infected pork, they can unknowingly spread the virus to live pigs by carrying contaminated materials.

She also distinguished ASF from swine flu, explaining that swine flu is an influenza virus that can affect humans, whereas ASF only affects pigs and poses no direct health risk to people.

Gasataya said the city will assess the assistance to be extended to affected hog raisers, similar to the aid previously provided when the city was hit by the disease.