The Provincial Government of Batangas and the Local Government of Lipa received a national recognition from Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William D. Dar for the successful implementation of the Bantay African Swine Fever sa Barangay (BABay ASF).

“You are really a trend raisers. Kayo po ang tunay na frontliners, ang nagpakita na kayang i-contain ang ASF. The ASF is lingering pero ang datos ay bumababa na,” Secretary Dar said.

Batangas was the first province in the entire country with five municipalities and one city that are locally declared ASF-free by the provincial ASF task force.

Meanwhile, the City of Lipa pioneered the strategic implementation of the BABay ASF Program, which paved the way in establishing a model protocol for the immediate exit from ASF quarantine for local government units in the whole country. Together with Lipa, the municipalities of Rosario, Malvar, Taysan, San Jose, and Nasugbu were locally declared ASF-free on June 21.

The local declaration, which covers cities and municipalities, is the first level of declaration of ASF-free status to be done by the provincial ASF task force. At this level, the recently declared ASF free areas are now on the Recovery and Repopulation Phase of BABay ASF. This phase consists of 30 days of disinfection, 20 days bioassay, and 40 days sentinelling.

In the second level or the national declaration, which cover provinces, to be declared by the DA-Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the areas must have no reported ASF outbreaks within 90 days after the recovery and repopulation phase. #### (Reina Beatriz P. Peralta, DA-4A RAFIS).