BUFFER ZONES. Cebu Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Rose Vincoy (holding the microphone) holds a meeting with the municipal and city veterinarians at the Cebu Provincial Capitol on Thursday (March 9, 2023). Four towns in Cebu have been declared as "buffer zone", after African Swine Fever (ASF) virus was detected in Carcar City, home to the famous "chicharon" or pork skin cracklings in the south of Cebu province. (Photo courtesy of Cebu Capitol PIO)
CEBU CITY – The provincial government on Thursday declared four towns in Cebu province as “buffer zones” following the detection of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus in the southern city of Carcar, home to famous “chicharon” or pork skin cracklings.
Dr. Rose Vincoy, provincial veterinarian, said the zoning was established after meeting with municipal and city veterinarians at the Cebu Provincial Capitol to discuss measures to prevent the further spread of the ASF virus.
She said the towns of San Fernando, Barili, Aloguinsan and Sibonga which are adjacent to Carcar City have been placed under the “pink” zone.
As per the ASF task force color-coding scheme, pink zones served as buffers where the deadly virus is not present but they are adjacent to a locality declared as a “red” zone where the infection is detected.
“There’s no more movement of live hogs, pork, and pork products from red and pink zones. The movement is limited only within the red zone and pink to red zones,” she told the Philippine News Agency in Cebuano.
Vincoy also said the city of Naga and the towns of Pinamungajan, Dumanjug and Argao are placed under “yellow” zones, where strict surveillance of live hogs for possible infection of the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever.
The city of Toledo and the towns of Moalboal, Badian, Ronda and Minglanilla are placed under “light green” zone or protected zone, where there are no ASF cases and considered low-risk but are contiguous with the red zone in terms of land mass.
“We continue with our monitoring in other LGUs (local government units) to know the extent of contagion,” Vincoy said.
The zoning, she said, “takes effect immediately” and will last until the towns are declared safe from ASF.
Department of Health - Central Visayas regional director Jaime Bernadas, for his part, said pork and pork products are not harmful to humans although they can be carriers of the virus.
“It is safe to eat pork so long as you cook them well,” Bernadas told reporters here. (PNA)
