City’s ASF status now advances to the yellow zone
Through the collaborative efforts of government and private sectors and earnest cooperation of swine raisers, both backyard and commercial piggeries, from red to pink zone, the City of Koronadal was able to advance on its African Swine Fever (ASF) status to the yellow zone. This means that the city is currently under surveillance and optimistic about securing the green zone in time.
Despite the present standing, City Veterinarian Dr. Charlemagne S. Calo stated that still it’s a long way process for the city to attain a green zone because it’s also a must for the neighboring towns to achieve the same category which the city has being mandated by the higher authorities.
Aside from obtaining the same classification with the adjacent locales, Calo stresses that the city still needs multiple blood sampling, more sentineling, and persistent implementation of strict biosecurity.
To sustain and ensure the safeguarding of Koronadal against ASF cases, the City Veterinary Office (CityVet) will now further enforce tightened security and close watch in all access points aside from conducting a series of activities. These involve meeting with lechoneros, monitoring the slaughterhouse, regular inspection of task force bantay karne, administering biosecurity seminars to all hog raisers as a refresher scheme, and prohibiting the entry of all pork and processed pork by-products coming from the red and pink zone by constant checking of all documents, since the city is a receiver of all products.
Meanwhile, since the city is already in the yellow zone, pork products coming from Koronadal can be now transported to other areas aside from being declared as pilot area of the whole Province of South Cotabato and other nearby places.
Dr. Calo is also communicating to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) of possible insuring of swine in their office after it was temporarily cut off due to the presence of ASF cases in the city backed year 2020. The city veterinarian meanwhile stated that since October 2022, the city has had zero cases of the said virus. Nevertheless, he keeps on reminding the swine producers, maybe in be backyard or commercial industry to always refrain from being complacent and, thus, thoroughly observe the tight management of biosecurity since no vaccine yet is available.