Poultry, Duck Raisers Get Unilab Donation
The
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
UNITED Laboratories has donated drugs, vitamins and disinfectants to backyard
poultry and duck raisers, as well as to veterinarians and quarantine officers
of the Avian Influenza Task Force, Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban announced Sunday.
“The backyard raisers and farm workers can hardly afford
such items to prevent them from catching flu and other viruses,” Panganiban said during the signing of two memoranda of
agreement covering these donations in simple ceremonies held at the Office of
the Secretary yesterday afternoon.
Unilab, the Philippines’ largest pharmaceutical manufacturer,
donated 3.3 million tablets of Enervon C multivitamins
worth P25 million that will be distributed to frontliners
in the fight against avian influenza, particularly those closely operating in
the 20 priority provinces or hotspots frequented by migratory birds, the
potential carriers of the deadly disease.
Univet Agricultural Products Inc., a Unilab
subsidiary, is distributing P500,000 worth of the
disinfectant, Microban; antibiotic Vetracin and dewormer Latigo 1000 in the hotspots.
The Bureau of Animal Industry OIC Director Dr. Davinio Catbagan said providing
the small gamefowl and duck farmers with these
products will help the bureau gain their cooperation in the monitoring
operations of the National Avian Influenza Task Force.
“With Unilab’s donation, the
farmers will realize that BAI and NAITF have no other interest but to keep
their farms free from bird flu and they will readily cooperate,” Catbagan said.
The 20 “hot spots” being closely monitored by the task
force are: Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga
del Sur, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Palawan near Quezon and Narra towns, Pampanga (Candaba Swamp), Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte, Aparri in Olanggo Island, Cebu, Himamaylan in Negros Occidental, Magat Dam, Ramon in Isabela, Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Lake Mainit in Surigao del Norte, Roxas and Capiz in Panay Island, Bulan and Matnog in Sorsogon, General Santos City, Naujan
in Mindoro Oriental, Cabacan
in Cotabato and the Liguasan
Marsh.
Catbagan said, “Blood samples and cloacal
swabs taken from poultry population in these hotspots have proved negative of
the virus.”
BAI organized the National Avian Influenza Task Force to
respond to the threat of the H5N1 (avian influenza) infection on gamefowl and duck and poultry farms in “hot spots” or areas
potentially vulnerable to AI strain.
Univet has vowed to help monitor bird farms in the country and in
disseminating of information on AI. The Unilab
subsidiary has also agreed to subsidize the production and distribution of
educational posters on biosecurity and brochures on
bird flu.
Meanwhile, Panganiban said
AI-afflicted countries—
“We have to follow protocols and cannot send our people. We are waiting for proper channels to act on their appeal,” Panganiban said.
--Mercedes E. Rullan