BIRD FLU-FREE. A backyard poultry in Barangay Pila, Laoag City, remains free from bird flu. In Pangasinan, the provincial government extended indefinitely the temporary total ban on poultry products in 17 provinces to maintain its bird-flu-free status. (PNA file photo by Leilanie G. Adriano)
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The provincial government of Pangasinan has extended indefinitely the ban on the entry of ducks, quails, spent hens (culled), hatching eggs, pigeons, gamefowls, and ready-to-lay pullet (RTL) and restricted the movement of other poultry birds and by-products from 17 provinces in the country to maintain its bird flu-free status.
In Executive Order 01 posted by the provincial government on Wednesday, Governor Ramon Guico III said the restriction and temporary total ban applies to the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Sultan Kudarat, Benguet, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Isabela, Rizal, Quezon, Kalinga, Aurora, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
"The continuing avian and other zoonotic influenza outbreak from the nearby provinces call for continued implementation of the temporary total ban on entry of related products, which may endanger not only our local poultry industry but also the unknown risks that this outbreak may cause to the consuming public," he said.
Guico said a veterinary certificate, veterinary shipping permit, animal welfare registration certificate, certificate of disease-free status, handler’s license certificate of registration, and transport carrier registration certificate are required for broiler poultry products to enter the province.
There are also different requirements for day-old chicks, hatching eggs, eggs, fresh poultry meat, and frozen poultry meat products.
"The local government units are hereby directed to strengthen the monitoring of the selling of pork and frozen products in various public markets and other establishments within their territorial jurisdictions," Guico said.
All animal quarantine checkpoints and facilities shall observe strict monitoring of different entry and exit points in the province for ducks, quails, spent hens, hatching eggs, pigeons, game fowls, and ready-to-lay pullet, he said.
Further, the EO directed all transhipments bound to Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Abra, and Benguet to take the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. (PNA)
