To Protect Cebuanos From Bird Flu Vidal to declare state of prayer

Vidal said the circular would also call for a mandatory prayer for all Catholic faithful after Mass.

This is the third time that Vidal declared Cebu under a state of prayer. The first declaration was made two years ago when the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS swept through Asia, and the second was in August amid the threat of dengue fever.

Although not a single case of bird flu has been recorded in the country, Cebu officials have already taken steps against the deadly disease. Last Wednesday, the Cebu City Council unanimously approved a resolution declaring the city under a state of preparedness. The declaration allows the city to use part of its calamity fund for bird flu preparation activities.

The resolution did not specify how much would be allocated but the newly formed Task Force on Bird Flu Prevention and Control that Mayor Tomas Osmeña had created recommended a budget of P10 million.

The P10 million will be used for the purchase of testing kits from Singapore, protective suits for the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation personnel, who are tasked to respond to the bird flu, and for the information dissemination.

The areas in the province frequented by migratory birds are now being monitored and the Cebu City Veterinary Office took blood samples of chickens and birds in barangays Mambaling, Inayawan and Pardo.

The three barangays are near the Ponds A and B of the South Reclamation Project where migratory birds were frequently seen. Migratory birds on Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City are also being monitored.

Meanwhile, city veterinarian Alice Utlang yesterday said there is a non-pathogenic type of bird flu that is already in the country.

However, she said this type of bird flu does not carry the deadly H5N1 strain and cannot even kill infected fowls. - With Mitchelle P. Calipayan