THE Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-Davao) clarified that there is currently no confirmed African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in Davao de Oro, following public concern sparked by a heightened alert issued by the Municipality of Monkayo.
DA-Davao Regional Executive Director Macario Gonzaga said the alarm originated from Executive Order No. 2026-078, issued by the Monkayo local government unit, placing the town under heightened alert as a precautionary measure.
"What happened is that the mayor of Monkayo made an executive order warning all his constituents that we have to put up security measures kay basig musulod daw sa ilaha ang ASF," Gonzaga said in an ambush interview during the 12th Durian Festival opening in SM Lanang.
(...warning all his constituents that we have to put up security measures because ASF might possibly enter their area.)
The EO advised the public against transporting unauthorized live swine and pork products and urged residents to report any cases of sick or dead swine to the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist or other concerned authorities.
Gonzaga said he directed DA-Davao's regulatory division to verify the reports, which found that there was no confirmed ASF outbreak in the province.
The agency urged hog raisers and the public to rely only on official announcements from DA-Davao regarding the presence of ASF in the region.
To recall, the Provincial Government of Davao de Oro previously inaugurated a ₱10-million facility to help revive the hog industry after it was devastated by ASF in past years. As of July 10, 2026, the Department of Agriculture reported active ASF cases in 21 barangays across 17 cities and municipalities in 11 provinces nationwide. GRS
