In observance of the Holy Week, the Philippine News Agency’s online news service will be off on March 29, Good Friday, and March 30, Black Saturday. Normal operations will resume on March 31, Easter Sunday.

— The Editors

MisOr steps up surveillance vs. ASF, bird flu

By Nef Luczon

March 21, 2022, 5:30 pm

<p>Google map of Misamis Oriental.</p>

Google map of Misamis Oriental.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Misamis Oriental's provincial veterinary office (ProVet) said it has doubled its efforts to cover all municipalities and component cities to prevent the entry of avian influenza (AI) or bird flu, including the containment of new cases of African swine fever (ASF).

In a report Monday, Dr. Benjamin Resma, the ProVet chief, said that after three months of "downtime" and more than 100 days of zero ASF cases, three barangays in Gingoog City have logged new cases.

Resma said the cases came from the barangays of Minsapinit, Santiago, and Tinalaban towns although he was quick to add that these had been contained to prevent further spread to neighboring areas.

"As to the ASF recovery program, the samples from Libertad and Talisayan (towns) all tested negative. We also gave disinfectants, vitamins, and dewormers to all the farmers we visited," he said in the vernacular.

Other ASF recovery programs made by ProVet include giving alternative livelihoods to farmers through duck raising, which includes the harvesting of their eggs since last year.

As of March 16, Resma said farmers managed to sell 548,821 eggs with an estimated value of PHP4.6 million.

The highest-earning towns under the program include Libertad with PHP2.5 million; Manticao, PHP1.12 million; Opol, PHP567,800; Initao, PHP402,177.50; and El Salvador City, PHP9,680.

Bird flu

Last week, Governor Yevgeny Vicente Emano issued Executive Order (EO) No. 004, series of 2022, which ordered the temporary total prohibition of entry of all avian species, and all species of poultry products and by-products.

Under the EO, those under Regions 3, 5, and 12 are specifically prohibited to bring in poultry and its by-products in Misamis Oriental.

"As a result (of the EO), we have confiscated 27,000 "balut" eggs (duck eggs) on March 15, coming from Sta. Maria Bulacan," Resma said.

Resma also said that they are also monitoring migratory birds and took samples for testing, hoping these will yield negative results. (With reports from Ercel Maandig/PNA)

Comments