Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol ordered two government veterinarians to represent the Philippines in the three-day emergency meeting in Thailand to tackle the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks in mainland Asia. Dr. Ronnie Domingo, OIC Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry, and Dr. Anthony Bucad, Head of BAI Animal Disease Control Section, will join the other participants in coming up with an Asian response to prevent the spread of the disease to new territories.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), main organizer of the meeting, invited animal health officials, veterinary epidemiologists, international agencies and laboratory experts to review the disease trend and to develop a coordinated regional response. Countries near China received the invitation. The participating countries include Cambodia, China, Japan, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The workshops which will end on Friday (September 7) should identify the action plans from each country.

China reported last month outbreaks of African Swine Fever in several pig farms. The highly fatal disease poses a serious threat to the swine industry in China and surrounding countries.

Secretary Piñol assured the local stakeholders that the government has taken preventive interventions to prevent the entry of the disease into the Philippines. He has ordered banning of importation of pigs and pig products from ASF-affected countries. ### (DA-BAI)

Photo shows Dr. Wantanee Kalpravidh, Regional Manager of the FAO Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) in Asia, welcomes the Philippine Delegation headed by Director Ronnie Domingo of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Also in the photo is Dr. Carolyn Benigno, FAO Regional Project Coordinator and Dr. Anthony Bucad, Chief of the Animal Disease Control Unit.