. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/1031 
25 June 2010 
 (10-3494) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (FMD) STATUS 
 
Communication from the Philippines  
  
 The following communication, received on 25 June 2010, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the Philippines
. 
 
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 1. In the last OIE General Assembly in May 2 010 in Paris, the Philippines was awarded a new 
FMD
1 status where the entire country was recognized to be FMD free without vaccination, except for 
one zone.  This zone is, however , eligible to also apply for the same classification of FMD free 
without vaccination as of August 2010, for consideration by th e General Assembly in 2011. 
2. A bit of history :  The FMD virus was detected in the country as early as 1902 but the 
programme for its control and eradication was launche d only in 1995, after the big outbreak that hit 
Luzon, the island where Manila, the capital city is located, and where at least 43 per cent of the FMD 
susceptible animals are located and traded.  The other two big islands, Visayas and Mindanao, are 
traditionally free from the disease and there were onl y occasional incursions coming from Luzon.  A 
Progressive Zoning Approach was designed to get the work done piece by piece.  
3. Cost of eradication :  Given the importance of the project, the Philippine Government 
through the Department of Agriculture deemed it necessary to invest the substantial resources 
involved, both in terms of manpower and financia l inputs.  Emergency preparedness and eradication 
are in the long run the least-cost policy option for the country.  
4. The lessons learned:   Over time we have recognized that no government programme will 
succeed without public and stakeholder support.  In the FMD campaign, all stakeholders were invited 
to participate both through voluntary and mandatory invitations.  The active participation and sincere 
commitment of farmers, traders, private practitione rs and slaughterhouse operators was critical to the 
success of the programme. 
5. Sustaining the programme:  To further sustain the programme and ensure continued FMD-
free status, the national government through the Bureau of Animal Industry is working closely with the regional offices and the local government units, which are the frontline implementers of the 
quarantine measures. 
                                                     
 
 1 Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is probably the most important livestock disease in the world in terms 
of economic impact. The reasons for this are not only due to the ability of the disease to cause losses of 
production, but are also related to the cost of Veteri nary Services in the presence of the disease and to 
restrictions on the trade of animals both locally and internationally. 
 G/SPS/GEN/1031 
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  6. In the commercial sector, the accreditation of fa rms as FMD free, is tied to the requirement 
for issuance of shipping documents by the Bureau of Animal Industry.  This accreditation process is 
part of the bigger movement control structure being set-up by the task force to continuously and effectively monitor the health status of  animals from the source to the market. 
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