BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The governments of Negros Occidental and Bacolod signed a joint executive order calling for a ban on all domestic and wild birds, from Luzon, Mindanao, Panay and Guimaras.
A total ban is also imposed in areas where there are possible cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
The tool effect 6 December 2022.
Exemptions to the ban are those thay met specific requirements for entry.
Both unprocessed and processed raw poultry meat require an inspection certificate issued by the National Meat Inspection Service and/or a license to operate/certificate of product registration from the Food and Drug Administration as well as a veterinary shipping permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the E.O. said.
Day-old chicks require a veterinary health certificate and certification issued from the Provincial Veterinarian that birds were sourced from farms with no incidence of bird flu for the past 14 days before shipment.
Other requirements include a veterinary shipping permit from the BAI, a negative laboratory test for bird flu of the source flock valid for 28 days from the date of sample collection and a certificate of acceptance from the Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).
In the case of hatching eggs, the PVO requires that the destination facility is placed under mandatory quarantine with regular supervision during the incubation period until the hatching is complete.
Balut meanwhile should be fully cooked before shipment and must have a veterinary shipping permit from the BAI and a certificate of acceptance from the PVO.
Negros Occidental will also allow regulated entry of birds and their products from bird flu-free areas.
The regulation covers the shipment of gamefowl, turkey, and domesticated poultry; ducks, pigeons, and other wild birds; broilers and ready-to-lay pullet; and raw processed and unprocessed poultry meat.
The E.O. also tasked veterinary inspectors to intercept the entry and confiscate birds and their products from restricted regions during the inspection at seaports, airports and other points of entry.
