Local officials, the agricultural sector, and hog raisers have agreed to postpone the submission of specimen samples to the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) in Baguio City. The submission aimed to confirm whether African Swine Fever (ASF) is the cause of the illness and death among backyard pigs in the municipality. During the Livestock Special Meeting held on July 13, 2026, at the 4th Floor of the New Municipal Hall, key discussions centered on some hog raisers voluntarily slaughtering their sick pigs, as well as emerging reports and public anxiety across various social media platforms.

According to the latest report from Ms. Novy Galgala of the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMAG) Sagada, the central barangays of Patay, Dagdag, Demang, Ambassing and Balugan are currently affected. Meanwhile, a case from Ankileng is still undergoing verification. To date, 19 individuals from the aforementioned areas have reported that their backyard pigs fell ill and eventually died.

Under the National Zoning and Movement Plan for ASF in Mountain Province as of June 26, 2026, the towns of Natonin and Paracelis have been officially declared as Red Zones or Infected Zones (areas with active ASF cases where the transport of live pigs and pork products is prohibited). Meanwhile, other municipalities, including Sagada, remain under the Pink Zone or Buffer Zone (areas with no officially confirmed active cases but are adjacent to affected areas, thus undergoing strict surveillance).

Mr. Peter Ticag of OMAG Sagada explained that this is the primary reason why the local government did not immediately send samples when the initial report was received on June 9. The move was intended to avoid jeopardizing the swine-raising livelihoods of many residents in non-affected barangays. The Local Government Unit (LGU) took into consideration the appeal of unaffected hog raisers, a sentiment echoed during the meeting – to grant them enough time to sell and transport their pigs, especially since some already hold approved shipping permits and are scheduled for transport.

The government warned that once Sagada is officially declared ASF-positive, it will automatically be placed under a total lockdown that could last for at least two years, paralyzing the local swine industry.

Despite the postponement of the RADDL testing, Mr. Ticag emphasized that regardless of whether the results are ASF-positive or not, neighboring towns have already issued their respective Executive Orders (EOs) banning the entry of live pigs, pork, and other pork by-products originating from Sagada to protect their own jurisdictions. OMAG also cautioned that if the number of reported pig deaths spikes in the coming weeks, no single party should be blamed, as this was a collective decision made during the meeting. However, should the situation worsen, they will be compelled to submit samples for the safety of the majority.

For now, the LGU strictly mandates the implementation of biosecurity protocols in every pigpen. Barangays have also been directed to establish checkpoints to block the entry of contaminated meat from affected areas. Meanwhile, Barangay Animal Health Workers (BAEW) and the Barangay Kagawad heading the Committee on Agriculture have been mobilized to conduct an immediate inventory and count the remaining population of live pigs within their respective jurisdictions.

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