‘NO CAUSE FOR PANIC’: Barotac Viejo farm logs Iloilo’s first ASF case of 2026

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

A backyard hog farm in Barotac Viejo is the site of Iloilo province’s first confirmed African swine fever (ASF) case this year, prompting authorities to tighten disease surveillance even as they maintain that the outbreak remains contained.

Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) head Daryl Tabuada said the Department of Agriculture confirmed the laboratory result on June 29, after samples were collected from the farm on June 23.

The backyard raiser reported the deaths of five pigs — one breeding sow and four fatteners — which prompted the local government to request testing.

“We consider the case as [an] isolated case. We consider the case as [an] incursion case,” Tabuada said on Thursday, July 2.

According to Tabuada, the affected farm sits in an isolated area surrounded by cornfields.

He added that monitoring in nearby communities has not detected any additional sick or dead pigs, indicating that the virus has not spread beyond the affected farm.

Tabuada said veterinary personnel immediately carried out quarantine measures, supervised the proper disposal of the dead animals, imposed movement restrictions on the farm, and conducted cleaning and disinfection activities in coordination with the barangay and local government.

“We conducted thorough cleaning and disinfection in the area, and upon monitoring nearby hog farms, there are no suspected cases or hogs showing signs of disease,” he said.

The PVO chief said the infection was likely caused by inadequate biosecurity practices commonly observed in backyard farms.

During the inspection, authorities found that the farm lacked basic safeguards such as controlled access, visitor logs, disinfection facilities for vehicles and equipment, and requirements for clean clothing and footwear before entering the premises.

“That is why we also emphasize that if farmers engage in backyard swine farming, there needs to be biosecurity level 1,” Tabuada said.

ASF biosecurity level 1 covers basic farm protection measures such as controlling who enters the pig area, keeping pens and equipment clean, using footbaths or disinfection at entry points, and ensuring the proper disposal of waste and dead animals.

“These are the things that we need to comply with before we decide to raise swine because the threat of ASF is just around, and one wrong move and you will get infected,” he said.

ASF remains a threat

African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease that is often fatal to pigs but poses no risk to human health, and no commercial vaccine is widely available, which leaves farm biosecurity as the main line of defense. The Philippines confirmed its first ASF outbreak in 2019, triggering large-scale culling that disrupted the domestic pork supply and drove up prices.

Although this is the province’s first confirmed ASF case in 2026, Tabuada stressed that the virus has never been fully eliminated since it first reached Iloilo in 2022.

“Ever since we have not eliminated ASF, the threat of ASF is present […] This is our first case this year. If we look at it, the virus is just here; we only need to protect our farms from that virus,” he said.

In 2025, Iloilo province recorded 28 confirmed ASF cases, with 26 documented in border towns and two traced to a stockyard in Pavia.

Despite the confirmed infection, the provincial government will not prohibit the movement of live hogs and pork products.

Tabuada stressed that authorities will focus on stricter implementation of existing transport regulations and biosecurity requirements.

“We have not totally eradicated ASF. What we will focus on is the farm biosecurity measures of backyard and commercial farms,” Tabuada said.

He urged local governments, slaughterhouses, livestock traders, and hog raisers to strictly comply with documentary requirements, including veterinary or animal health certificates, disinfection certificates for transport vehicles, and local transport permits.

“No need to panic. Our farmers have already adjusted. We were hit by ASF in 2022. We have to treat ASF like COVID-19. It’s already there. We just need to adjust. We have to change our practices in swine raising,” the PVO chief stressed.

He added that the PVO continues to conduct regular surveillance across municipalities, ports, and border areas through routine sampling to detect possible infections early.