VETERINARIANS were sent by the provincial government to 10 towns in Cebu to monitor the movement of animals being shipped to the province.
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy said they deployed people in the ports of Pulang Bato, Hagnaya, Santa Fe, Daanbantayan, Tabuelan, Dumanjug, Samboan and Santander to see if the animals being delivered were covered by documents.
She said they have personnel stationed at the quarantine office to inspect the animals in the cargo area at the airport.
Vincoy said the veterinarians issue health certificates for livestock and poultry due for transport outside Cebu, and they also inspect if the animals transported in Cebu are covered by health certificates and shipping permits.
But Vincoy admitted that there were problems with the issuance of health certificates for the animals from Masbate, and they were placed on hold in the port of Hagnaya due to lacking documents.
“I called personally the PVO (in Masbate last Monday), and I hope they will address these problems,” Vincoy said.
She said she is coordinating with their counterparts in Negros Occidental and other areas due to differences in their protocols on animal transportation.
Vincoy said they remain vigilant even if there were no reported incidents of Avian influenza and Newcastle disease in Visayas so far.
She said they are still waiting for word from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on how long they would continue to monitor the animals transported in ports.