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ILOILO CITY — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has declared Western Visayas free from avian influenza, or bird flu, more than two years after the region recorded its first case of the viral infection.
The declaration by DA's Bureau of Animal Industry is made through Memorandum Circular 13, series of 2025, which was approved on Monday.
The declaration waives blood testing requirements for the local transport of live poultry, other bird species, eggs, and poultry products — excluding live ducks — originating from Western Visayas until July 15, 2025.
The DA-6, in a statement on Tuesday, said the declaration is a major milestone for the region's poultry indus-try.
It emphasized that it will accelerate trade, reduce logistical restrictions, and boost the confidence of consum-ers and business partners in the region's poultry health standards.
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"This declaration is a testament to the region's strong biosecurity practices, vigilant monitoring, and proactive collaboration among stakeholders," the regional office added.
The waiver lifted all the restrictions which became necessary after the DA issued a series of regulatory measures following the detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 in the Philippines.
Western Visayas recorded its first case of bird flu on Dec. 2, 2022.
The DA confirmed that chickens in a poultry farm in Barangay Cagay, Roxas City, Capiz were infected with the H5N1 bird flu subtype.
The province was officially reinstated as bird flu-free on July 4, 2023.
