. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/906 
24 February 2009 
 (09-0961) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
REGIONALIZATION – PEST-FREE AREAS 
 
Communication from the Philippines
 
  
 The following communication, received on 20 Fe bruary 2009, is being circulated at the 
request of the Delegation of the Philippines
. 
 
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USDA-Philippines Bureau of Plant Industry Mango Program 
 
1. The survey was divided into three parts: th e main islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao 
Surveys.  Seven (7) Regions in Luzon (CAR, Regions  1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, and 5) were surveyed from 
September 2006 to June 2007.  A total of 111,213  mango trees were examined with a total of 
1,310,597 fruits collected and dissected.  No pr esence of Mango Pulp Weevil (MPW) or Mango Seed 
Weevil (MSW) was found in the different mango varieti es that were collected (except for the southern 
municipalities of Palawan).  A follow-up Monitoring Su rvey was also done to determine the results of 
the first survey.  It also covered seven regions and 36 mango-growing provinces with a total of 63,120 
trees examined and 757,440 fruits collected.  No incidence of the weevil was observed.  
2. The Visayas Survey was conducted during October 2007 to July 2008.  Three Visayan 
regions (Regions 6, 7 and 8) a nd 16 mango-growing provinces were surveyed with a total of 33,694 
trees examined and 408,267 fruits were collected.  Th e population size of the survey is based on five 
per cent tree population per region.  Of the different mango varieties, there was no incidence of MPW or MSW in the fruits dissected.  A monitoring su rvey is underway (Ja nuary 2009 to June 2009) 
targeting 20,876 trees and 250,512 fruits (based on th ree per cent population and 12 fruits per tree, 
respectively.) 
3. A Mindanao Survey is in the pipeline during a ten-month period (pre-survey August to 
September 2008 and the actual survey November to December 2008 and January to August 2009).  
This will cover six regions in Mindanao (Reg ions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and ARMM) and 27 mango-
growing provinces.  80,141 trees are to be examin ed and 961,692 fruits are to be collected and 
dissected.  This survey also follows the USDA protoc ol already done in Luzon and Visayas regions.   
AusAid through Public Sector Linkages Program (PSLP) 
 
4. A detection survey funded by AusAID via the Public Sector Linkages Program (PSLP) was 
undertaken in the Philippines for Mango Seed and Pulp Weevils.  The methodology was developed 
and agreed in a meeting between Insecurity Australia  and project partners, the Department of Primary 
Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), Queensland and th e Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Plant 
Industry (DA-BPI), Philippines.  The survey was conducted in the province of Davao del Sur in 
Mindanao, an important mango-produc ing area in the southern Philippines.  Logistical assistance was G/SPS/GEN/906 
Page 2  
 
  provided by the local government unit of Davao.  The survey period was from February 2006 to 
November 2006. 
5. Of the 180,968 fruits that were collected and dissected from 14 different municipalities, there 
was no evidence of either seed or pulp weevil.  Da vao Del Sur was placed under quarantine after the 
survey.  The next step would be the official recognition of Davao Del Sur by Australia as a pest-free 
area. 
Low Monitoring Survey of the Mango Pulp and Seed Weevils in Davao del Sur and Detection 
Survey of the Weevils in Sarangani and Samal Isl and, funded by AusAID through Public Sector 
Linkages Program (PSLP) 
 6. A low monitoring survey was conducted in Dava o del Sur from March 2007 to February 2008 
and showed the absence of Mango Pulp and Seed Weevil in the 14 municipalities.  This was confirmed by the 23,152 fruits collected and di ssected, wherein not a single specimen of the weevil 
(egg, larva, pupa or adult) was found.  This resu lt has proven scientifically that Davao del Sur is 
effectively maintained as a MPW and MSW free area. 
7. Detection surveys undertaken in Sarangani Province and Samal Island did not show any 
evidence of MPW and MSW.  This was evidenced by the 84,800 and 16,120 fruits collected/dissected 
in Sarangani and Samal Island, respectively.  No t a single specimen of the two weevils was found.  
The detection survey conducted in these two provi nces has proven the absence of these pests in the 
areas. 
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