LOREN PROPOSES MEASURES TO ADDRESS SWINE FLU PROBLEM

Senator Loren Legarda urged the government to provide contingency funds, mobilize all concerned agencies and strictly implement immediate rational actions to deal with the swine flu problem now considered a global concern.

"Preventing the swine flu virus from spreading into our shore should be an urgent and pressing priority. This is the reason I am all for the declaration of a public health emergency. Let us fully support the government in preventing the spread of the virus," Loren said in a statement delivered in a recently held Senate regular session.

Loren, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said the swine flu should not be met with panic but by rational action and pointed out three critical undertakings.

First, she wants a total ban on all hog imports--live and processed--from North America (Mexico, United States and Canada). She also wants authorities to carry out health safety checks on passengers and crew of airplanes and sea-going vessels from the said countries in accordance with World Health Organization- accepted inspections.

She also seeks for a declaration of a public health emergency, if necessary, to give the government adequate powers to deal with the swine flu problem.

"Extra-caution and extra-vigilance are required because of several reasons", she said.

She pointed out that "North America is our biggest regional trading partner and there is a vigorous, two-way agricultural trade between the region and the Philippines ."

"The US and Canada are home to millions of Filipinos and the balikbayans from the two countries arrive at Philippine airports daily.

Loren also asked the government to spend more on human health and improving our animal health technologies.

"Let us refocus our resources and efforts on things basic and fundamentals, like safeguarding the health of our people and developing a world-class animal science and genetics," the lady senator said.

Loren, who also chairs the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM), also urged the Department of Agriculture to put up modern equipment that could help identify and cure diseases attacking hogs and other livestock. Loren said that she will push for the immediate passage of a comprehensive bill on food safety that would ensure the highest quality of agriculture and fishery products for both domestic and international markets.

The lady senator also seeks to rationalize the functions of concerned agencies such as the Bureau of Agricultural and Fishery Product Standards (BAFPS) and other regulatory agencies of DA.

"There remains a vague delineation of mandates as regards the inspection of processed meat products between the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) of the DA and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFDA) of the Department of Health," she said.

"This is where legislation is needed - to delineate functions and mandates among the agencies that ensure the safety of the food supply from production to the table and to strengthen the capacity of these agencies to meet new threats such as emerging infectious diseases," Loren stressed.

"The laws that created the BFDA, earlier known as Food and Drugs Administration - Republic Act 3720 and Executive Order 851 of 1982 - have mandated the BFDA to regulate food from diseased animal or an animal that has died from causes other than slaughter but have specifically excluded the regulation of fresh and dried fruits and vegetables. The NMIS has a similar function on the regulation of meat and meat products under Executive Order 137 of 1993. The BAFPS of the DA is mandated to set and implement standards for fresh primary and secondary processed agricultural and fishery products. However, this agency created by Republic Act 8435 lacks facilities and resources to fully implement its mandate", Loren explained.