Fifty-eight barangays across Bohol province are plagued with active African Swine Fever (ASF) cases, health officials said, as the disease spreads to two additional municipalities despite years of containment efforts.
The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian reported that 21 of the province’s 48 towns now have active ASF cases, affecting around five percent of Bohol’s 1,109 barangays, according to a July 12, 2025 situation report.
Maribojoc and Sevilla are the latest municipalities to confirm infections, bringing the total number of affected towns to 43 since the outbreak began.
In Maribojoc, eight barangays reported cases after a hog grower in Pagnitoan failed to report symptoms and continued selling pork to neighboring communities, Mayor Jojo Rojas said.
The town has established an ASF task force and ordered all barangays to activate monitoring units.
Sevilla confirmed cases in two barangays and has set up checkpoints to prevent further spread, municipal officials said.
Provincial Veterinarian Maydailyn Paman presented the data during a meeting with Governor Aris Aumentado, mayors and agricultural officials at the provincial capitol.
A total of 203 villages have been affected since the outbreak began, with 58 currently showing active cases.
Bohol’s ASF battle under Aumentado
The current outbreak is a recurring setback for Bohol, which had maintained ASF-free status for years before Aumentado was elected governor in 2022.
The province remained ASF-free through March 2022, with previous administration implementing strict measures including an ordinance in prohibiting entry of live pigs, pork products and frozen semen from ASF-affected areas.
However, cases began emerging in 2024.
In April 2024, Aumentado imposed a temporary ban on transport of live pigs and pork products from Panglao and Dauis municipalities following reported ASF cases.
The outbreak intensified in late 2024 and early 2025.
Authorities confirmed ASF presence in four villages by December 2024, with the latest case detected in Carmen municipality.
In January 2025, Aumentado identified “boar-for-hire” services – where male pigs are rented for breeding – as a primary cause of the outbreak and imposed a six-month moratorium on such activities.
The governor also ordered food gift exchanges during town festivals to be suspended to prevent virus spread.
At least one municipality has declared a state of calamity due to the outbreak, with Aumentado stating the province has “spent millions to save the livelihood of farmers.”
Most recently, the governor ordered the provincial veterinary office to cease culling infected hogs, departing from standard containment measures used nationwide.
The outbreak threatens Bohol’s six-billion peso hog industry, a critical economic sector for the island province of 1.4 million people.
Authorities are coordinating with local governments to implement biosecurity measures and prevent further spread of the highly contagious disease, which is fatal to pigs but poses no risk to human health.