Cotabato regains bird flu-free status

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Friday that Cotabato province is now free of bird flu following successful disease control and containment efforts.

In a news release, the DA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed the Memorandum Circular No. 32 on July 9, 2026, restoring the province’s disease-free status less than a year after an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain hit backyard duck farms in the municipality of M'lang.

Laurel cited successful implementation of disease control measures that prevented the virus from spreading beyond the affected areas.

The DA said the outbreak in Cotabato was confirmed in October 2025 through RT-PCR laboratory testing.

The confirmation prompted an aggressive response by the Provincial Government of Cotabato, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office XII, and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the Agriculture Department said.

Authorities immediately depopulated affected flocks, imposed movement restrictions, carried out extensive cleaning and disinfection, and intensified surveillance in accordance with the government's Avian Influenza Protection Program, the DA said.

It added that subsequent testing conducted within the one-kilometer and seven-kilometer surveillance zones around the affected farms yielded negative results for influenza Type A virus, while both initial and final disinfection activities were completed.

The DA said Cotabato's bird flu-free status complies with the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), which allows previously affected areas to regain avian influenza-free status at least 28 days after the completion of stomping-out operations, disinfection, and surveillance confirming the absence of the disease.

The DA said the declaration is expected to boost confidence in poultry movement and trade from Cotabato while providing relief to producers whose livelihoods were affected by the outbreak.

The agency said the development also highlights the importance of rapid disease reporting and a coordinated response in minimizing the economic impact of animal disease outbreaks.

"Cotabato's recovery demonstrates that when national agencies and local governments act quickly and work together, disease outbreaks can be contained before they threaten the broader poultry industry," said Tiu Laurel.

“This declaration is a recognition of that hard work, but it is also a reminder that vigilance and strong farm biosecurity must remain our first line of defense,” he added.

Cotabato previously experienced an H5N1 outbreak in 2022 and regained its avian influenza-free status in 2023 after implementing similar disease control measures, the DA said. — VBL, GMA News