The provincial government of Pangasinan is “leaving no stones unturned” to protect the health of its constituents as well as to ensure the safety of poultry industry in the province.
Governor Ramon V. Guico III , issued Executive Order (EO) No. 0101 on October 1 to extend the temporary total ban in the entire province on the entry of all ducks, quails, spent hens (culled), hatching eggs, pigeons, gamefowls and ready to lay pullet (RTL).
Said order restricts the movement of other poultry birds and by products into the Province of Pangasinan coming from the fifteen (15) provinces to wit: Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Sultan Kudarat, Benguet, North Cotabato, Saouth Cotabato, Maguindanao, Isabela, Quezon, Kalinga, Aurora, Ilocos Norte, Capiz and Batangas respectively.
The move was made to immediately enforce the continuing implementation of the temporary ban on entry of related products following the continuing avian and other zoonotic influenza outbreaks from nearby provinces which may cause unknown risks to the consuming public.
The provincial government is also determined to maintain the province’s current status as Avian Influenza Free Province as declared by the Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban through Memorandum Circular No. 46, Series of 2023 on September 28.
Meanwhile, Gov. Guico directed LGUs to strengthen the monitoring of the selling of pork and frozen products in various public markets and other establishments within their territorial jurisdiction.
All animal quarantine checkpoints and facilities are also instructed to conduct strict monitoring of different entry and exit points in the province for quail and ducks shippers.
Gov. Guico reiterated all documentary requirements needed in the Animal Quarantine Checkpoints are cited in EO No. 0059, series of 2023.
All transhipments going to Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Abra and Benguet shall take TPLEX Urdaneta exit.
It will be recalled that on July 26, 2022, Pangasinan recorded one case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Subtype H5N1 in Brgy. Manzon, San Carlos City.
However, prior to the confirmation of the first case of HPAI in the province, Pangasinan has been free from avian influenza in poultry.
The rapid containment of HPAI from the primary zone of infection was undertaken to prevent risk of further spread through the joint efforts of the LGU, DARFO and BAI.
Thus, since the end of the cleaning and disinfection operations of more than ninety (90) days elapsed, surveillance activities yielded negative AI test results. (Chona C. Bugayong / Pangasinan PIO)
