REPOPULATION. Ilocos Norte prepares for its repopulation program after African swine fever-hit farms start recovering. Only three municipalities remain under the "red (infected) zone." (File photo courtesy of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte) LAOAG CITY - The Provincial Veterinary Office in Ilocos Norte announced Friday that some of the municipalities previously affected by the African swine fever (ASF) have been upgraded to "pink (buffer) zones." Of the 16 towns and cities in Ilocos Norte that were previously affected by the ASF, only three remain under the "red (infected) zones," said provincial veterinarian Loida Valenzuela. These are the towns of Banna, Piddig, and Bangui. "We just finished testing samples for our surveillance," said Valenzuela, as she noted the towns of Pinili and Dumalneg as among those that have been upgraded to pink zones. Previously, ASF had spread to 16 towns and cities in Ilocos Norte, namely, the cities of La