The government has set aside P177.78 million to fund its attempt to stop the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in the country as what President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. ordered.
The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) has allotted the budget for the government’s Avian Influenza Protection Program that will implement mitigating measures before and during outbreaks of bird flu.
President Marcos, who heads the DA in a concurrent capacity, said that he wants an intensified effort against bird flu in the country.
The fund, which is higher than the allocation in past years, will also be used to respond to animal disease emergencies through early detection and reliable laboratory diagnostics.
Aside from continuously establishing close coordination with the local government units ( LGUs) and stakeholders, DA-BAI will carry on disease investigation activities and surveillance of quarantine zones and will systematically conduct culling and disposal of affected poultry animals at the first sign of detection.
DA-BAI Assistant Director Arlene Asteria Vytiaco stressed that the bureau has reinforced control measures to avoid a spike in bird flu cases.
According to Vytiaco, DA-BAI has immediately implemented depopulation, intensive surveillance in the one-kilometer quarantine zone as well as cleaning and disinfection at a layer poultry farm in Santa Maria, Bulacan after confirming it tested positive of HPAI Subtype H5N1 on Jan. 31, 2023.
“Ini-intensify natin ang ating control measures para huwag nang maranasan ’yong last year na talagang tumaas ang kaso natin ng February until March to April (We are intensifying our control measures so that we won't go through the same situation last year where cases spiked from February until March to April),” Vytiaco said.
The BAI chief added that the Bulacan farm is the first layer poultry farm affected by bird flu this year, but the case has been resolved and contained.