CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The ban on cockpit arena operations in the province has been lifted following the assurance of the Department of Agriculture that the avian influenza virus was successfully contained.
This was confirmed by Mayor Edwin Santiago during a chance interview right after the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte in this capital city recently.
Santiago said that the resumption of cockpit arena operations is a manifestation that the fowl industry is slowly getting back to its feet.
“This just shows that the operation of poultry industry in the province is back to normal, including the cockfights,” he said.
When the suspension of cockfights in the province was ordered, Santiago said that hundreds of Fernandinos who work in cockfight arenas were displaced. This goes as far as vendors and tricycle drivers in arenas.
It could be remembered that cockfights in Pampanga were suspended for two weeks since August 17 to avert exposure of game fowls or cockers to the bird flu virus.
This is part of the biosecurity measures that were implemented against the possible risk in fighting cocks being transported to another cockpit arena by participants in the game.
Meanwhile, Santiago expressed his gratitude to President Duterte for his initiative to visit Pampanga to reassure the public of the safety of poultry products in the province.
He stressed that the effects of the bird flu outbreak in the province were not just limited to huge businessmen such as poultry raisers and broilers and distributors, but was greatly felt by workers in the industry.
“It was a good thing that we were able to stump out the virus. And the assurance of President [Rodrigo] Duterte is a big thing for the poultry industry and we are very thankful to him for that,” he said.