DOH STEPS UP IMMUNIZATION DRIVE VS. MEASLES IN BICOL

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol has urged all local government units (LGUs) in the region to conduct Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) in their respective areas to avoid possible measles cases among their constituents.

Dr. Nestor F. Santiago, Jr., DOH Bicol regional director, stressed that LGUs should instruct the health workers to trace children, aged nine months to 59 months old, whom they missed vaccinating during their routine immunization schedules and have them immunized at once.

The appeal was made as a result of the measles outbreak in the municipality of Mobo and Masbate City totaling to 57.

Santiago explained that as early as the first week of February, this year, the Provincial Government of Masbate was advised to conduct outbreak response immunization after detecting clinically-confirmed cases of measles in 2010.

A team from Community Health Development (CHD) of DOH Bicol was already dispatched to assist local health authorities combat an on-going measles outbreak in identified areas in Masbate localities.

The said office has dispatched some 3,000 vials of anti-measles vaccines, Vitamin A capsules ad syringes as initial logistics assistance for the province.

Nancy Pastrana, DOH Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) coordinator, meanwhile related that SIAs will be undertaken even in those areas without cases yet.

“Health workers are advised to review the immunization status of their target clients and if necessary to do a house-to-house operation to identify those children who missed the vaccination,” she noted.

Pastrana added that children should have at least two anti-measles vaccines before they reach the age of 24 months to have a higher immunity against the disease. (AMAmador, BUCAL/PIA)

DENR SAYS WILDLIFE HUNTERS ARE OFF-LIMITS TO RP

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay (March 17) — All forms of wildlife hunting are prohibited in the Philippines. the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) warned.

Reiterating DENR Secretary Horacio Ramos’s advisory issued recently, Bicol Director Jocelyn Marcus Fragada has sternly warned the public that the agency does not allow hunting of wildlife in any place of the Bicol region, noting several wildlife species also abound in this part of the country.

DENR’s move to reiterate the entire Philippines being “off limits” to wildlife hunters came following reports that a US-based website www.adventures41.com offers a jungle safari on Mindoro island to kill “some native species you simply cannot hunt anywhere else in the world today.”

In its 14-day hunting package, the website offers a “guaranteed 100 per cent of killing major trophy animals” that includes some of the Philippines’ endangered animals like the Asian Sambar deer, Philippine mouse deer, saltwater crocodile, and the Philippine wart pig.

Fragada has reiterated that hunting or unauthorized collection of endangered and vulnerable species (meaning their number is nearing extinction) is a criminal offense under Republic Act 9147, otherwise known as the Philippine Wildlife Conservation Act of 2001, and carries penalties of imprisonment from two to 12 years, including fines ranging from P30,000 to P1 million.

He likewise cautioned foreigners that they may still be caught for breaking Philippine wildlife laws even if they are on their native soil citing the reported conviction of a German national, named Gunther Wenzek, last January 14 on the strength of an American law that recognizes Philippine Law on wildlife conservation ad protection.

Wenzek was arrested in 2007 by US customs officials for violation of the Lacey Act and RA 9147 which strictly prohibits the harvesting and trading of Philippine corals.

The Lacey Act, on the other hand, prohibits possession, transport or trade of wildlife species that have been illegally collected, transported or sold in violation of wildlife laws existing in their countries of origin.

Wenzek was sentended to serve three years on probation and pay a fine amounting to at least $35,000 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon for shipping into the Port of Portland, Oregon some 40 tons of corals belonging to the scientific order Scleractinia, genera Porites, Acropora, and Pocillopora, common to Philippine reefs.

The web-based hunting package cited the provinces of Palawan, Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Romblon and Marinduque as the places where this “Philippine safari” as showcased in the www.adventures411.com were to be held, prompting DENR to urge “anybody who has knowledge of these hunting groups” to get in touch with local DENR offices either via telephone at (02) 4050323, short message service at 0917-302-9257 or email at pawb_4b@yahoo.com/ph.

Fragada cited that DENR has warned that local and foreign nationals alike are equally liable under the act even by mere publication of the activity, saying “any published or posted information in the internet or in any publication, inviting prospective tourists or individuals for action adventure in the Philippines by way of game hunting, must be treated with utmost caution as these activities may be illegal”. (DENR V/PIA)

COCONUT FARMERS ADVISED TO PLANT BANANAS

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay (March 17) — The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) provincial office here has advised coconut farmers to plant bananas to mitigate and prevent the spread of coconut leaf beetle (Brontispa Longissima) in coconut plantations across the province.

Edmundo R. Bailon, officer-in-charge of the PCA Albay, said that planting bananas could help the coconut farmers.

“The agency encourages coconut farmers to plant bananas because earwigs are found in them. Earwigs are friendly insects which feed on the larva and eggs of Brontispa,” Bailon added.

PCA stopped the use of trunk injection because the people are afraid to be poisoned.

“In planting bananas, the farmers could save the Brontispa-infested coconut tree and at the same time they could also harvest and make money out of the bananas,” Bailon furthered.

As of press time, at least six municipalities in the province are affected by the coconut leaf beetle.

PCA classified the affected municipalities into slightly, moderately and severely affected.

The municipalities of Malinao, Tabaco, Polangui, Libon and Pio Duran are classified under slight with about 300-500 trees affected while Manito is classified under moderate with more or less 1,000 coconut trees infested by Brontispa.

Brontispa Longissima is an imported fest that feeds on young leaves and damages seedling and mature coconut palms. (GBLatigay, BUCAL/PIA)