TF Marawi mulls giving out chicken to Marawi evacuees

The inter-agency Task Force (TF) Bangon Marawi said it will study the Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) proposal to distribute chicken to the Marawi displaced citizens amid the avian flu in Luzon.

This, after Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has agreed to let the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distribute poultry goods to the evacuees as the stock of chicken rose when demand dropped due to the bird flu outbreak.

Piñol maintained that all poultry products available in the market are safe for consumption as live fowls undergo tests and certifications before being dressed and sold in markets.

Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) assistant secretary and Task Force Bangon Marawi spokesperson Kristoffer Purisima said that, while he was not privy to details regarding the proposal, he said the Task Force will be sure to look into it.

“Kung nasa plano ‘yan, siyempre pag-aaralan ‘yan ng Task Force kung nararapat ba ‘yan (If that’s in the plan, of course the Task Force will study if that is necessary and right),” Purisima said during the Mindanao Hour press briefing Friday morning.

“We’ll take that into consideration and I’m very sure that the Department of Health is on point to this and they’re studying this,” he added.

Purisima also said there they have not yet received any feedback on whether the evacuees will accept the chicken or not.

“Wala hong impormasyon diyan ngunit siyempre, pag-aaralan natin ito dahil siyempre kailangan ‘yung welfare ng ating mga evacuees, ating mga IDPs ang nakasalalay dito (We don’t have information on that yet but we will look into it because we have to put first the welfare of the evacuees and the internally displaced persons),” he said.

“Siyempre hindi tayo gagawa ng isang plano o isang programa na makakasakit lamang sa ating mga IDPs (Of course, we will not implement a plan or program that would put the IDPs in danger),” he added.

Purisima explained that all plans related to the rehabilitation, recovery of Marawi City would first have to go through the Task Force before they are implemented.

“Lahat ng interventions na gagawin para sa Marawi for rehabilitation and recovery, and kasama na dito ‘yung continuing response, ay dadaan sa Task Force. Lahat ng donations dadaan sa Task Force, lahat ng intervention dadaan sa Task Force (Every kind of intervention for Marawi’s rehabilitation and recovery including the continuing response would have to go through the Task Force. These includes the donations),” he said.

The DA earlier confirmed that the avian flu strain found in San Isidro, Pampanga tested positive for H5N6, a virus that can be transmitted the humans but with a very low rate of mortality and transmission.