RAITF forwards AI prevention and control program
- Ayra Veronica Nastassia Galanza
- Sep 8, 2017
- 3 min read
The Cordillera Administrative Region Regional Avian Influenza Task force (CAR-RAITF) convened for a follow-up meeting on September 6, 2017 at the Department of Agriculture (DA) – CAR Conference Hall.
The meeting was made possible by the Department of Agriculture (DA) – CAR in coordination with the partner agencies in the region: Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCor), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Benguet State University – College of Veterinary Medicine (BSU-CVM), and the Philippine Veterinary Medicine Association (PVMA); Provincial Veterinary Offices of Benguet, Mountain Province, Apayao, Kalinga, Ifugao, and Abra; City Veterinary Office of Baguio and Tabuk; and stakeholders.
Decision points discussed previously were addressed by the body. To start with, Dr. Anthony Bantog, DA-CAR Regulatory Division Chief, listed updates regarding the Avian Influenza. Around 667, 184 heads were culled in the three Central Luzon towns (San Luis, Pampanga and Jaen and San Isidro, Nueva Ecija). According to Dr. Bantog, a total of P29 million was released by President Rodrigo Duterte as compensation for the culled poultries in the clear-up operations.
Moreover, poultry mortality reports from Ifugao, Kalinga and Baguio City were investigated and samples were collected & submitted to the Animal Disease Diagnostic & Reference Laboratory (ADDRL) for confirmation.
Further, Dr. Marietta Amatorio, Regional Advisory Committee for Animal Disease Control & Emergency (RAC-ADCE) chairman, communicated the points of the national meeting for ADCE.
From the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) of DA-CAR, Florena Pedro presented the prevailing price of meat and meat products from August to September 2017. Based on the report, there is still a decrease in the prices compared to when the AI outbreak started.
Dr. Cameron Odsey, DA-CAR Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulatory, addressed the concern on regulating the prices. “Agriculture products have no price control. It all depends on the market and economic principles. What we can do is to assure the public on the safety of consuming poultry meat and by-products,” he said.
On a positive note, the ban on the movement of live birds, poultry products including poultry meat, eggs and other products from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao and the ban on the movement of poultry and poultry products in the 7-km Avian Influenza Control zone has already been lifted in accordance to DA Memorandum Circular 08 and 09.
Dr. Delfina Layagan, Regional Veterinary Quarantine Officer – CAR, further explained the additional clauses of the ban lift. Poultry testing, veterinary health certificates, and shipping permits are required before shipment.
Dr. Ofelia Ducayag of the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) – CAR, gave a brief background on the protocols on procuring, labeling, packaging, and transporting samples.
The poultry critical areas and the criteria to determine it together with the RAITF Organizational Structure was tackled by Dr. Kevin Luna, Veterinarian I of DA-CAR. The protocols in identifying, reporting, monitoring, and tasking were all discussed.
Finally, a draft of the AI Regional Contigency Plan was echoed by Dr. Leisley Deligen, Veterinarian III of DA-CAR. Suggestions from the group was taken for consideration to the plan.
All agencies and stakeholder present at the meeting verbalized their commitments to the AI Prevention and Control Program.
