The deliberate killing of infected and exposed hogs within a 500-meter radius of the swine found positive for African Swine Fever (ASF) could begin anytime this week once local agriculturists complete geo-tagging of backyard farms where the index cases occurred.

This was disclosed by an official at the Municipal Agriculture Office in Virac where blood samples taken from sick pigs at a semi-commercial farm tested positive for the virus last week.

According to the source, the LGU would have to conduct geo-tagging of the affected farms before it could determine the areas within 500 meters of the infected premises which will be covered by the depopulation.

The prospect of hundreds of swine being killed to prevent the spread of the viral disease comes less than two weeks after Governor Patrick Alain T. Azanza issued an executive order on Aug. 19, 2026 declaring a temporary ban on the entry of live hogs, pork and all pork by-products into the province after the Department of Agriculture confirmed ASF cases in Camarines Sur.

The chief executive cited the urgent need to institute safety measures to protect the interest and general welfare of the people, including the livestock industry.

Five days later, on Aug, 24, reports circulated on social media about sick pigs dying in Pandan town, with personnel from the Municipal Agriculture Office immediately collecting blood samples from swine in four adjoining barangays comprising the población.

The samples were then sent for analysis at the DA Regional Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) in San Agustin, Pili, Camarines Sur.

On Aug. 27, the laboratory issued separate reports on the results of the analysis of the 40 samples collected from 46 backyard hog raisers, with nine (9) of them testing positive for ASF using the Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine.

The infected hogs, which range in age from four months to one year and eight months, were in barangay Pandan del Sur (2), Napo (3) and Libod (4).

In Virac, a resident of Hicming who also raises hogs on the side was informed on Aug. 24 that two of the pigs, both about three months old, were no longer eating.

He immediately contacted agriculture personnel, who initially said the sick pigs could be suffering from heat stroke.

However, the owner, whose farm had been affected by ASF in 2020 and 2025. insisted that the animals be tested.

His suspicion proved correct, with the DA-RADDL also confirming that the test confirmed the presence of ASF viral DNA in the blood samples submitted.

In separate letters to the municipal mayors of Virac and Pandan regarding the positive ASF tests, DA Regional Executive Director Rodel Tornilla requested the two LGUs to strictly implement the protocols to stop the spread of the disease and properly manage the situation.

It asked the LGUs to activate their respective task forces against ASF; conduct depopulation within 500 meters of the ground zero, to be completed within five (5) days or less from receipt of the notice; institute strict border control against the movement or transport of swine; conduct surveillance and monitoring within a seven-kilometer radius from the ground zero; complete the tracking or history of the cases to determine where the infection started; strictly enforce biosecurity measures, including clean-up and disinfection; and conduct an information and education campaign (IEC) to notify affected stakeholders on appropriate steps and precautions to be taken.

Pursuant to the guidelines provided by DA Administrative Orders No. 22 and 24, Series of 2020, the LGU would have to decide whether to resort to selective or non-selective depopulation.

Selective depopulation may be chosen if the following factors are present: the disease was reported early; the cases are isolated or incursions; there are effective biosecurity practices in the farm and neighboring piggeries; the affected animals were recently introduced in the area and maintained in one location with minimal contact with other indigenous pig population; there are available resources to implement immediate culling; and, there are enough manpower and resources for strict implementation of animal movement restrictions.

However, the rapid, deliberate killing of infected, potentially infected and contact animals within the infected premises and the 500-meter quarantine zone would have to be implemented if the disease was reported late, there are poor biosecurity practices in the area, swine raisers access a common source of uncooked swill feed, and there are three or more infected premises of ASF laboratory detection or swine mortalities in the area.

If the disease spreads from Pandan and Virac to neighboring towns, the subsequent depopulation could significantly reduce the hog population in Catanduanes.

Last week, in a meeting of the Provincial ASF Task Force, both the Provincial Agriculture Support Office and the Provincial Veterinary Office said that based on the present consumption of pork, the current swine inventory would last for three or four months.

A report based on data submitted by the 11 LGUs show a total of 17,448 heads of swine as of Aug. 27, 2026, consisting of 6,653 fattening and grower pigs. 2,196 breeders, and 2,681 piglets being raised by 886 smallhold or backyard raisers, six semi-commercial farms and one commercial hog raiser.

The capital town of Virac has the largest number of swine at 3,885 or 22 percent of the total while Pandan has 1,110 or six percent.

When ASF was first detected on the island in the last quarter of 2020, a total of 1,870 sick and healthy pigs were deliberately killed and buried in mass graves.

In 2025, another 345 were culled or depopulated, affecting a total of 105 farmers who have yet to receive compensation from the government totaling over P2.6 million.

One of the seven (7) hog raisers whose animals tested positive for ASF told the Tribune that this is the third time that his piggery had been affected by the disease.

In 2020, he said all of his 200-plus hog population succumbed to the disease or depopulation, with the early cases dying a day after exhibiting symptoms.

With his business wiped out, he began again after the area was declared ASF-free, only to be hit for the second time in 2025.

He managed to save over half of his swine herd and limited his losses, enabling him to repopulate the piggery.

The affected farmer, however, said he would temporarily stop swine raising for now, even if he thinks the symptoms being exhibited by his sick pigs are mild and have not killed them as of presstime.

He said he would just wait for the government to make available a vaccine against ASF.