Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said P3.3 million worth of dressed chickens and eggs that arrived in Negros Occidental were intercepted and sent back to their points of origin on Wednesday, March 2.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has ordered a total ban on the entry of all live domestic and wild birds and their poultry products into Negros Occidental until March 15.
Lacson said he issued the order after birds in Bulacan and Pampanga tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain, commonly known as bird flu, to safeguard the poultry industry and to protect the public in Negros Occidental from its ill effects.
Intercepted were 11.55 tons of dressed chicken’s worth P2.3 million that arrived at the BREDCO port Wednesday morning and were sent back to Iloilo City, Decena said.
The dressed chickens were reportedly on their way to Zamboanga but were not allowed to pass through Negros Occidental, he said.
There were also 150,000 eggs worth P1 million in a van from Dipolog City, that were intercepted at a checkpoint in Barangay Tagukon, Kabankalan City , Wednesday afternoon. The van was directed to return to its point of origin, Decena said.
Decena said 30 kgs of siomai and 40 kgs of dressed chicken worth P15,000 were also intercepted at the San Carlos port and were shipped back to Cebu on Tuesday.
The quarantine office at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has been alerted of the ban so that shipment of gamefowls, and other poultry products to Negros Occidental are not granted permits, he said.*