• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The number of cities and towns in Negros affected by the African swine fever (ASF) has increased to 19 from the previous 12, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) said July 29.
All of the seven additional local government units listed in the red, or infected zone, are in Negros Occidental, including Talisay, Silay, Ilog, La Castellana, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, and Valladolid, as of the July 24 monitoring of the DA-BAI.
The town of San Enrique was listed as infected in the previous ASF disease status, after Mayor Jilson Tubillara confirmed that more than 500 pigs died in the municipality last month due to the dreaded swine fever.
In Negros Oriental, the capital city of Dumaguete, as well as Bacong, Basay, Bindoy, Dauin, La Libertad, Pamplona, Siaton, Sibulan, Tanjay, and Zamboanguita remained in the red zone.
The highly-urbanized Bacolod City is still in the pink, or buffer zone category, despite cases of ASF previously logged in barangays Granada, Bata, Alijis, and Taculing.
The city of Sipalay remains as the lone LGU in Negros under the light green, or protected zone.
All six municipalities of Siquijor – Enrique Villanueva, Larena, Lazi, Maria, San Juan, and Siquijor – are in the dark green, or ASF free zone.
Nine LGUs are under the surveillance, or yellow zone, including Bago, Candoni, Cauayan, Himamaylan, Hinoba-an, and Sagay, all in Negros Occidental, and Bais, Jimalalud, and Valencia in Negros Oriental.
The rest of the LGUs, including Bacolod, remained in the pink category.
The DA-BAI had explained that a yellow zone covers areas where ASF has not been detected, but are adjacent to the pink zone. | CGC
