CHAIR of the City Council Trade and Commerce Committee today urged the northern Mindanao agriculture department for assistance in preventing a possible avian flu outbreak in Mindanao.
Cagayan de Oro City Councilor George Goking made the appeal to agriculture-10 regional director Carlene Collado following reports of the H5N1 strain of avian flu being detected in different farms in Luzon.
While Goking is still validating the reports, he said that he is deeply concerned about a potential outbreak in the provinces like Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon including Cagayan de Oro City as sources of poultry products (particularly eggs) in Mindanao.
“If the bird flu reached Mindanao, what forms of assistance can the DA-10 extend to poultry raisers to prevent the spread of avian flu,” said Goking.
He even asked DA-10 what biosafety measures can be taken by farmers and raisers to prevent the transmission of avian flu among their poultry.
Goking noted that the DA in Manila is already undertaking measures in affected areas in Central Luzon to control the infection.
He also assured the city’s agriculture of the support of his committee to the efforts of the agriculture department to fight bird flu outbreaks.
“I will support any request from the DA for changes in administrative procedures in the Bureau of Customs to prevent the entry of infected live and poultry products in our port here in Cagayan De Oro and Mindanao Container Port in Tagoloan,” said Goking.
He also offered to request the Philippine Ports Authority and the Department of Transportation to work with the agriculture department to craft guidelines to strengthen avian flu prevention measures.
“The agriculture is still recovering due to the pandemic,” Goking said, adding that keeping food prices down will be absolutely his also priority in the Cagayan de Oro City Price Coordinating Council.
He added that efforts to prevent ASF-like effects on our poultry industry in Mindanao will be vital to economic recovery.
In an earlier report, according to the DA, the H5N1 strain has been detected in duck and quail farms in Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, and Camarines Sur, said Goking.
“The DA already ordered stricter preventive measures against bird flu following confirmed outbreaks of the avian influenza H5N1,” Goking said.
He said that DA officials are now on top of the situation, as he said surveillance around the 1-km and 7-km radius was carried out immediately to ensure that the disease has not progressed around the said perimeter.
Goking reiterated to stakeholders, especially the poultry raisers – to report cases immediately if there are suspected cases as they are the ones working on the ground. (Ben Balce)
