Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday assured that the country’s actions against African swine fever (ASF) during the ‘third quarter storm’ were managed well. In a media interview, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa highlighted a significant downward trend in ASF cases in the Philippines compared to last year.

According to Philippines News Agency, the government has been rolling out its government-controlled vaccination program among healthy and ASF-negative hogs alongside stringent border measures across the country. De Mesa noted that the difference in the third quarter ASF incidents reflects a ‘very significant’ downtrend from last year’s total figure, emphasizing the department’s continuous efforts in managing the situation effectively.

The ‘third quarter storm’ refers to the seasonal uptick of cases among the livestock sector, which is not exclusive to ASF. De Mesa reported, “The sum of logged incidents is almost 5,000 or 4,979. This year’s third quarter is only pegged at 657.” He stressed that there is no resurgence of ASF cases in the Philippines to date.

Based on the November 18 update from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), only 27 barangays across the country have reported active cases of ASF by the end of October. On Thursday, De Mesa mentioned that the incidents of ASF in stock farms in La Loma, Quezon City, remain isolated.

“There will be an affidavit of undertaking between the lechoneros, BAI, and the QC local government unit (LGU) before they will be allowed to resume operations,” he stated. The Quezon City LGU earlier ordered the temporary closure of 14 lechon shops in La Loma following the BAI’s detection of ASF in some lechon-processing facilities in the area.