Targeting at least one Barangay Biosecurity Officer (BBO) per barangay, the Regional Training Center of the Agricultural Training Institute in the Cordillera Administrative Region has conducted three more batches of training for BBOs on specimen collection for the month of March 2024 in the provinces of Apayao, Mt. Province and Ifugao.
Slot of the first batch was conducted in Ifugao with a total of 20 BBOs trained on March 19, 2024; the second and third batches were conducted simultaneously at Bontoc, Mt. Province with 31 participants and Calanasan, Apayao with 30 participants on March 21, 2024. Also the fourth and fifth batches were conducted simultaneously at Abra with 21 participants, and Kalinga with 26 participants on March 26, 2024.
The BBOs are volunteer animal health workers based in their respective barangays and are under the supervision of the PVO. Their tasks include assisting the PVO and the Municipal Agriculture Office in monitoring and surveillance of animal diseases. This program is one of the offshoots of the Philippine experience on the African Swine Fever (ASF) and is implemented as one of the measures to control and prevent the further spread of ASF through the wider Bantay ASF sa Barangay (BABay ASF) program.
For the CAR, this training is implemented through the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center-CAR (ATI-RTC-CAR) in partnership with the DA-Reginal Field Office-CAR (DA-RFO-CAR), Provincial and City Veterinary Offices, and Municipal Agriculture Offices in the region. Primarily the BBO, through this training, are being capacitated to enhance their skills in collecting specimens for laboratory testing. This includes proper preparation and handling of materials and tools, restraining of animals, collection, handling, packaging, and transport of specimens.
During the training, resource persons emphasized that mastery in collecting blood for laboratory tests takes time and needs more practice. Hence, it should be done under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian from the MAO or PVO. Aside from specimen collection, participants also did drills in conducting farm biosecurity assessments. Here, they were taught how to be very observant, objective, and creative in extracting honest answers from their fellow farmers. Moreover, BBO were also instructed to be vigilant and strict in the surveillance of animal diseases and in monitoring quarantine measures. Thus, they have to be in constant coordination with the MAO and the PVO. Finally, BBOs will be invited for more related training and also during livestock-related activities of the MAO and the PVO at their barangay to further enhance their knowledge and skills.
(With reports from Maribeth M. Ladu-an and Lorna W. Sawac).
