TUBA, Benguet –- Starting February 1, the Animal Quarantine Ordinance of Benguet will be enforced, imposing regulatory fees for every animal brought into the province.
The ordinance sets up 10 quarantine checkpoints — Marcos Highway; Kennon Road; Tubao, La Union-San Pascual Tuba; Naguilian Road, Sablan; Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road in Bokod town; Benguet-Ilocos Sur, Mankayan town; Mt. Prov-Benguet Road; Buguias; La Union-Gaswaling Road, Kapangan town; and Ifugao-Benguet Road in Buguias.
The ordinance, passed on September 4, 2017, primarily aims to promote and protect public health, safety, and welfare, as well as protect the interest of the local animal and farming industries.
“Quarantine is one of the government’s efficient and effective measures in helping prevent the spread of livestock and poultry diseases,” Tuba Mayor Ignacio Rivera said.
“Since Tuba is one of the main entry points of business in Benguet and Baguio City, our town strongly supports the imposition of quarantine inspections along Kennon Road and Marcos Highway. We strongly request the assistance of our barangay officials and the police in helping the provincial government and officials of the agriculture department strictly enforce this quarantine law,” he added.
The ordinance aims to provide a system for control and prevention of possible health hazard and entry of possible causes of pest and diseases that may affect the livelihood of the residents in the whole province.
The provincial ordinance applies to all animal dealers and traders, handlers of meat, meat products, and its by-products, fish and aquatic products, and honeybees and its products, which are all brought in and out of the province.
The ordinance states it shall be unlawful for all shippers, traders, or dealers to transport poultry, poultry products, and by-products, and livestock into the province without proper documents.
It shall also be unlawful to misdeclare the number of animals, its products, and by-products to be transported, and the use of tampered or falsified documents.
Those engaged in the business of transporting livestock are not allowed to use vehicles not accredited by the Bureau of Animal Industry.
In the transport of the items mentioned, shippers, traders, and dealers are required to first get an animal health certificate from the municipal, provincial, or regional veterinary office, where the livestock originated. This shall issue a shipping permit before they can be allowed entry into the province.
Violators of the ordinance will be charged a penalty of PHP2,000 to PHP5,000 for the first to third offense and succeeding offenses, or imprisonment of one month to six months, or both.
The Provincial Veterinary Office on Tuesday held an information campaign on the ordinance at Tuba municipal gym, the third of a series of meetings with local stakeholders. ( /PNA)
