RP soon to be declared FMD-free

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines may finally be declared free of the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in August this year, according to members of the Philippine College of Swine Practitioners.

Dr. Zosimo de Leon, the current chairman of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI) and a member of the PCSP said they had been informed by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) that the World Animal Health Agency, better known by its French name Organization Internationale de Epizooties (OIE), may finally declare the entire Philippines FMD-free.

Specifically, the province of Luzon would finally be declared FMD-free without vaccination.

The regions of Visayas and Mindanao have already been FMD-free for a couple of years.

Thus, the final declaration of the entire Philippines as FMD-free would be possible once Luzon is cleared by the OIE in August this year, De Leon said.

Achieving an FMD-free status would finally allow the Philippine pork sector to go ahead with its long-delayed plans to tap the export market.

The Philippines had re-submitted its application to be declared FMD-free earlier this year.

The province of Luzon has actually been FMD-free for almost two years, but with vaccination.

Unfortunately, the continued use of vaccination by some hog farms in Luzon disqualified the region from being declared FMD-free.

However, since last year, hog farmers in Luzon have finally stopped using vaccination, allowing the BAI to finally show documentation that the entire region has had no infection of the FMD virus.