CAPIZ – This province is guarding its poultry industry from the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus also known as bird flu.
Gov, Esteban Evan Contreras issued Executive Order (EO) No. 009 imposing a temporary ban on the entry of all live domestic and wild birds, poultry products and by-products from Luzon, Mindanao and other areas with reported cases of HPAI virus as declared by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The temporary ban, which is effective April 28 to May 27, is imposed on all live domestic and wild birds, day-old chicks, broiler, pullets, breeder and their products including hatching eggs, table eggs, quail eggs, embryonated eggs (balut and penoy), dressed chicken, processed and cooked poultry meat products, semen and manure from mainland Luzon (Regions I, II, III, IV-A and Cordillera Administrative Region), Mindanao and areas with reported cases of HPAI virus.
“There is a need to prevent the spread of bird flu to Capiz, Panay Island and other areas…(for)the best interest of the Capizeños and the economy of the province,” Contreras’ EO stressed.
However, the order has exceptions. Transshipment of imported day-old-chicks, day-old-pullets, day-old breeders, hatching eggs as well as imported gamefowls from international airports and seaports (countries without reported cases of HPAI) in Luzon and Mindanao is allowed.
Also, the EO underscored that the entry of live domestic and wild birds including day-old chicks, broiler, pullets and breeders their products and by-products from provinces with no reported cases (unrestricted/free areas) of HPAI is allowed provided that the shipment must conform to DA Administrative Order No. 5-2019 or the Guidelines on the Local Transport/Shipment of Animals, Animal Products and By-Products.
Aside from Capiz, other provinces and cities in Western Visayas which already imposed temporary banning of poultry and poultry products earlier include Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Aklan, Antique, and Iloilo City./PN
