Amid bird flu outbreak Guv: ‘Don’t lose hope’
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “Huwag tayong mawalan ng pagasa. Alam ko ang Kapampangan, matapang. Makakabangon ulit tayo, may awa ang Diyos sa atin. (Don’t lose hope. I know Kapampangans are resilient. We can overcome this. The Lord has mercy on us).”
This was the message of Governor Lilia Pineda to all Kapampangans during a consultative meeting held at the provincial capitol on Monday, amid the bird flu outbreak that is plaguing the province.
Speaking before Pampanga mayors and poultry owners who are affected by the outbreak, Governor Pineda said she is also distressed with the predicament brought about by the outbreak
which has been affecting businesses and livelihood of Kapampangans and the province’s economy.
During the meeting, Minalin Mayor Edgar Flores, Sto. Tomas Mayor Johnny Sambo and Candaba Mayor Danilo Baylon disclosed that poultry raisers in their towns are losing more than P10-million in revenues daily since they cannot market their produce.
Folks in Candaba in town, which is the one of the largest producers of duck eggs, are worried because they cannot ship their products since almost half of their clients are in Visayas and Mindanao, Baylon said.
The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) still prohibits the transport of live fowls and poultry products from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao to ensure the confinement of the virus.
“Mahirap talaga itong nangyayari sa atin. Hindi naman natin kagustuhan ito, at hindi rin natin basta masisisi si [San Luis] Mayor Asyong [Macapagal]. Siguro ganoon talaga, may daraan na krisis sa probinsya natin, pero lalampasan natin,” Governor Pineda said.
However, the governor told Kapampangans, especially affected poultry owners, to understand the position of the BAI to strictly regulate the movement of fowls and their by-products to prevent the spread of the virus.
She explained that the BAI and the national government are only ensuring the safety of Filipinos since poultry products, such as meat and eggs, are being consumed by the public and contamination might cost human lives.
“Pare-pareho tayong Filipino. Huwag nating perwisyuhin ang mga kapwa natin Filipino para sa negosyo. Dapat siguraduhin muna natin na malinis ang poultry products natin bago natin ilabas sa publiko,” she said.
Governor Pineda added that the Department of Agriculture will be providing assistance to all affected farmers by compensating for the culled fowls.
Governor Pineda, meanwhile, sought the help of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and other local officials, particularly mayors in the country, to help them sell bird flu- free products from Pampanga.
She stressed that BJMP local chief executives of towns and cities who have jail facilities, may purchase the safe products for the daily meals of inmates at a low cost.
She also called on big poultry companies likes San Miguel Corporation, Bounty Fresh and Magnolia which may be sourcing out products from Pampanga farms, to provide any possible assistance in clearing the avian flu virus in the province.
“Isa kayo [big poultry farms] sa makapagpapatunay na safe kainin ang poultry products mula sa Pampanga. May mga eksperto kayo, mas alam ninyo. Kaya sana matulungan ninyo kami,” she said. Lifting the state of calamity Governor Pineda also clarified that the state of calamity in the province might be lifted soon once the municipalities outside the seven-kilometer radius are cleared from avian flu.
She stressed that the province-wide declaration is not meant to cause worry to the public but is just part of the preventive measures implemented as suggested by Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol.
Once the non-affected cities and municipalities are cleared, the province-wide declaration will immediately be lifted while those at the ground zero will remain under state of calamity.
As of Monday, Governor Pineda and BAI clarified that only three villages namely barangays Sta. Maria and San Isidro Laug in Mexico town and San Pedro village in San Simon town and all the barangays in San Luis are identified to be inside the seven kilometer controlled area.