Regional Animal Disease Task Force for Control and Emergencies composing mainly of employees from the Operations (Livestock Program) and Regulatory Divisions and the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) of the Department of Agriculture Region IV-CALABARZON attended a capacity building on May 29 – 31, 2019 at Kahariam Farms in Lipa City, Batangas.
The task force’s job, in close coordination with the local government units (LGUs), is to ensure that animal diseases such as Avian Influenza, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, and African Swine Fever won’t enter the region; and if such, any animal diseases did enter the region, to control and eliminate the same.
Among the topics covered are about Avian Influenza, African Swine Fever, biosafety, and updates on Livestock Program and regulatory policies in the region.
Also known as the Regional Quick Response Team (RQRT), the task force is further divided into sub-teams, to wit: Sample and Investigation Team; Rapid Action Team; Animal Movement Management Team; Logistics Team; and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Team.
According to Dr. Gloria G. Salazar, Chief of RADDL, this kind of training will ensure that the RQRT is equipped with the necessary knowledge to quickly contain the outbreak and also to safeguard their welfare, particularly of the first responders.
The training also served as a venue to identify the logistical needs to better implement the Regional Quick Response Plan in case of an animal disease outbreak in the region.
Ms. Vilma M. Dimaculangan, Regional Livestock Program Coordinator, said that the LGUs can expect the full cooperation and support of the RQRT in the prevention and elimination of an animal disease outbreak in the region. • RFL, DA-RAFIS
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