Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) — Vice President Leni Robredo said on Wednesday government response to the bird flu outbreak in Pampanga prioritizes public safety over livelihood.
“Siyempre nakakabahala sa kalusugan ng mga tao. On the other hand, parang nakakaawa din iyong mga negosyanteng nag-invest dito. Pero ito naman iyong parating pangunahin kasi sa lahat iyong kaligtasan-kaligtasan natin-kaya kinakailangang isakripisyo ang hanapbuhay sa ngalan ng kaligtasan,” Robredo told reporters in a visit to an elementary school in Floridablanca, Pampanga.
[Translation: Of course it puts public health at risk. At the same time, I feel sorry for the businessmen who invested. But the priority is safety, our safety, that’s why we have to sacrifice livelihood for that.]
The government came to a compromise with Pampanga farmers Wednesday, where 36 farms within the seven-kilometer radius of the town of San Luis have offered to cull about 600,000 chickens to contain the outbreak.
Read more: More farm owners help gov’t control bird flu outbreak in Pampanga
Robredo lauded the government’s quick response against the bird flu.
“Sinubaybayan natin ng ilang araw na iyong ginagawa ng pamahalaan, particularly ng Department of Agriculture. Swift naman ang action na ginawa at umaasa tayo na parang hindi siya maiiwan na hindi tapos ang problema,” she added.
[Translation: We monitored what the government has done in response these past few days, particularly the Department of Agriculture. Their actions were swift and we’re hoping the problem will not be left unresolved.]
Pampanga declared a state of calamity last in August 11 after reports of 37,000 fowls dying since April in the town of San Luis, Pampanga.
The Bureau of Animal Industry has issued an order prohibiting the movement of live domestic and wild birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen, from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao.
