Gov’t agencies, LGUs told: Comply with DA’s African swine fever zoning plan

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered all government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to implement and comply with the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) zoning plan to contain the African swine fever (ASF).

Duterte, through Administrative Order No. 22, ordered the strict implementation of DA’s Administrative Circular No. 12 or the “National Zoning and Movement Plan for African Swine Fever.”

”There is an urgent need to ensure consistent implementation and compliance with DA Administrative Circular No. 12 to more effectively control the ASF virus toward its complete eradication,” Duterte said in his order signed February 5 but which copy was made public Friday.

Under DA’s zoning plan, the agency classified the country into various zones with respective movement protocols to regulate the movement of pork and pork products around the country.

DA Secretary William Dar earlier explained regions would be classified into “free zone” and “contaminated zone.”

The “contaminated zone” is further divided into four subzones namely “protected zone,” “surveillance zone,” “infected zone,” and “buffer zone.”

Duterte also ordered the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure strict observance of all government agencies, offices, instrumentalities and LGUs.

Edited by KGA