BACOLOD CITY - The local government here and Negros Occidental jointly imposed a total ban on all live domestic and wild birds, and their products, including eggs and manure from areas with reported cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or bird flu.

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo ‘Albee’ Benitez here and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson recently issued a joint executive order establishing the guidelines for the entry of all live domestic and wild birds into the city and the province.

The executive order stated a total ban covering Luzon, Mindanao, Panay, and Guimaras.

It cited the Department of Agriculture which reported confirmed cases of HPAI in the province of Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Benguet, North Cotabto, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Isabela, Camiguin, and Panay.

However, exceptions are allowed for raw poultry meat (both processed and unprocessed), day-old chicks and hatching eggs, including broiler, layer, and breeder, and embryonated eggs (popularly known as ‘balut’).

These products will be allowed entry regardless of shipping origin subject to compliance with requirements, based on the executive order.

Benitez and Lacson said that the joint executive order was issued to harmonize the policies in relation to the said matter.

Both leaders stressed that it is their way to safeguard the poultry industry and the general public from the ill effects of the bird flu disease.

The province is among the top poultry-producing provinces in the country with its P8-billion poultry industry.

The executive order also stated that veterinary inspectors are authorized to intercept the entry and confiscate live domestic and wild birds, and their products from restricted regions during the conduct of inspection at seaports, airports, and other points of entry.

All local chief executives were also directed to strengthen biosafety, hygiene, and sanitation standards in poultry dressing plants, live bird markets, and poultry farms in their respective areas of jurisdiction.