CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda lauded recently President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for his overwhelming support to help recover the poultry industry in the province.
President Duterte joined by 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol, and Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial met face to face with poultry farm owners that were hit by the bird flu outbreak to give check payments for birds that were culled.
According to Pineda, Pampanga is one of the largest poultry industries in the country that produces more than a million eggs a day and the effect of the recent bird flu-outbreak could have been worse for the industry had it not for government’s swift action and the support of the president.
“Mahal naming pangulo, hindi kami natakot dahil alam po namin ang puso ninyo nasa kapampangan. Maraming salamat po sa tulong ninyo sa amin,” Pineda said.
Besides, national agencies specifically Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) vowed to provide employment and loan assistance to poultry farmers to start anew, the governor added.
Facing the crowd, the lady governor reiterated that two barangays in San Luis were declared bird flu free since August 11 citing the efforts of DA led by Secretary Piñol.
The ban on transporting poultry products to Visayas and Mindano was lifted shortly after public officials proved that poultry eggs from Pampanga are safe to consume.
Meanwhile, Pineda likewise applauded the president for numerous billion infrastructure projects given to the province that improved the growth and progress of Pampanga.
“Nag papasalamat din po ako sa pagbibigay nyo ng tulong sa aming mga legislative representatives’ kagaya po kina Former President na ngayon Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Congressman Dong Gonzales, Congressman Rimpy Bondoc at Congressman Carmelo Lazatin kundi nyo po napahintulutan ang bilyun-bilyong infrastructure hindi magkakaroon ng katuparan ang development ng Pampanga,” Pineda said.
The governor, in the end, stressed that the bird flu incident serves as a wakeup call for the province to revisit policies and regulations to comply with strict and safe poultry breeding.
At present, regular monitoring and disinfection on farmers and workers in some areas of the province continues.
Ma. Reina Len Luna
