21 December 2005
Ilocos, Cordillera set to be declared FMD – Free
LINGAYEN – Pangasinan and the rest of the Ilocos region, including the Cordilleras are all set to be officially declared Foot and Mouth Disease-Free on Dec.16.
This was disclosed by Dr. Benedicto Perez, provincial veterinary officer of Pangasinan, who said the formal declaration that these areas are now FMD-free will be held in Manila by the National FMD Task Force.
Perez said the province of Pangasinan played a significant role in making these places FMD-free after it was designated by the National FMD Task Force as gateway for the control of the dreaded disease for cloven-footed animals.
Traders bringing pigs, cattle and other animals into the Ilocos region and Cordilleras from the south – especially Bulacan which is still an FMD endemic area – pass thru Pangasinan enroute to La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, including Baguio, Benguet, Abra and Mt.Province.
Perez said six checkpoints were set up in all entry points in Pangasinan to monitor the movements of animals. These are still existing in Carmen and Bakit-bakit, Rosales, Umingan, Bayambang, Mangatarem and San Fabian towns.
The Bureau of Animal Industry under the Department of Agriculture sent 12 personnel to man all these checkpoints. Their salaries are shouldered by the National FMD Task Force that gets assistance from the Australian government through the Australian Aid, Perez said.
He added Pangasinan has had no FMD case or outbreak since September last year.
Perez said he saw to it that blood samples taken from animals at random were submitted regularly to the National FMD Task Force for laboratory analysis in compliance with the needed protocol to be undertaken before a place can be declared FMD-free.
Stressing that the declaration of Region 1 as FMD-free area is very significant, Perez said this is a big boon to animal raisers and meat processors who can now even import their products to other countries.
He pointed out that in the entire country, only Mindanao and the Visayas have so far been declared FMD-free with the exception of Luzon. Ilocos Region and Cordilleras are set to follow Region II which was earlier declared as FMD-free.
This was disclosed by Dr. Benedicto Perez, provincial veterinary officer of Pangasinan, who said the formal declaration that these areas are now FMD-free will be held in Manila by the National FMD Task Force.
Perez said the province of Pangasinan played a significant role in making these places FMD-free after it was designated by the National FMD Task Force as gateway for the control of the dreaded disease for cloven-footed animals.
Traders bringing pigs, cattle and other animals into the Ilocos region and Cordilleras from the south – especially Bulacan which is still an FMD endemic area – pass thru Pangasinan enroute to La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, including Baguio, Benguet, Abra and Mt.Province.
Perez said six checkpoints were set up in all entry points in Pangasinan to monitor the movements of animals. These are still existing in Carmen and Bakit-bakit, Rosales, Umingan, Bayambang, Mangatarem and San Fabian towns.
The Bureau of Animal Industry under the Department of Agriculture sent 12 personnel to man all these checkpoints. Their salaries are shouldered by the National FMD Task Force that gets assistance from the Australian government through the Australian Aid, Perez said.
He added Pangasinan has had no FMD case or outbreak since September last year.
Perez said he saw to it that blood samples taken from animals at random were submitted regularly to the National FMD Task Force for laboratory analysis in compliance with the needed protocol to be undertaken before a place can be declared FMD-free.
Stressing that the declaration of Region 1 as FMD-free area is very significant, Perez said this is a big boon to animal raisers and meat processors who can now even import their products to other countries.
He pointed out that in the entire country, only Mindanao and the Visayas have so far been declared FMD-free with the exception of Luzon. Ilocos Region and Cordilleras are set to follow Region II which was earlier declared as FMD-free.
