Four areas still positive for African swine fever —DA

Four areas in the Philippines remain positive for African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Sunday.

"Ang mayroon sa ngayon, 'yan ngang reported sa [Camarines Sur], Benguet, Kalinga, at sa Quirino [province]," DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes said in an interview on GMA News' "Balitanghali."

The presence of ASF in the Philippines was confirmed last year. The DA blamed the outbreak mainly on imports from China and the practice of swill feeding.

Reyes said the government will continue to implement the 1-7-10 protocol: all hogs within a 1-kilometer radius from the affected area will be culled, while strict surveillance is in place within a 7-kilometer radius, and a 10-kilometer radius for food security area.

"'Yung culling operations ongoing, at bago ma-declare 'yan [na clear], dapat nailibing na lahat, may disinfection, cleaning process," he elaborated.

Dar earlier said that the department is considering whether to shrink the culling zone to a half-kilometer radius as a pork shortage is seen. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News