Question & AnswerQ&A (BAI ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 36)
Under BAI Administrative Order No. 36, the provinces of Region I (Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte) and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) excluding Benguet (Abra, Mt. Province, Apayao, Kalinga, and Ifugao) were declared as FMD-free zones with vaccination.
The provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite, Quezon, and Rizal were declared as Protected Zones under the Order.
An area must have no FMD outbreak, no evidence of FMD virus infection, no vaccination against FMD during the past 12 months, and there must be a record of regular and prompt reporting to be declared an FMD Free Zone.
The declaration was based on serological surveillance and field monitoring conducted in those regions that yielded no evidence of FMD virus infection during the past twelve (12) months.
Protected Zones refer to areas which have no recorded incidence of FMD for the past 12 months and are designated to strengthen the campaign against FMD and enhance the livestock industry while maintaining control measures against FMD infection.
The Secretary of Agriculture, by powers vested by existing laws, has the authority to declare the FMD free zones and protected zones.
The 12-month period is used as a standard timeframe to verify that there have been no outbreaks, no evidence of virus infection, and no vaccination against FMD, indicating the area’s status as disease-free.
The Order becomes effective fifteen (15) days after three (3) copies thereof have been filed with the UP Law Center.
Regular and prompt reporting provided evidence that there had been no FMD incidence for the past 12 months in those provinces, supporting their designation as protected zones.
The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) is responsible for the implementation of the FMD control program, as indicated by the signatures of its officials who recommended and approved the order.