LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET. Consistent with its aim for all its 13 municipalities to be complete in terms of Barangay Biosecurity Officers (BBO) trained on specimen collection, the Province of Benguet, through its Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), persistently partnered with the ATI-RTC-CAR and the DA-RFO-CAR for the inclusion of more Benguet BBO in the training on specimen collection. Through these efforts, the Bantay ASF sa Barangay Training on Specimen Collection for BBO accommodated seven municipalities of Benguet namely Bokod, Buguias, Itogon, Kibungan, Tuba, La Trinidad, and Sablan for the first quarter of 2022.
The municipality of Itogon went ahead through the training on February 22, 2022 with 24 BBO finishing the course. Buguias followed suit the next day with 16 graduates, the next day was scheduled for Bokod for its eight BBO. On March 1, 2022 BBO from the municipality of Kibungan co-hosted the training which yielded 20 graduates. The municipality of Sablan followed the next day with 12 BBO trained while Tuba and La Trinidad were scheduled on March 3, 2022 with eleven BBO from each municipality finishing the training. Thus, there are 102 BBO from Benguet who got trained on specimen collection for this year’s first quarter. In 2021 there were 82 BBO from Benguet who were trained under the same course coming from the municipalities of Tuba with seven graduates, Kapanagn with 17 graduates, Kabayan with 31 BBO trained, Atok with 13 graduates, and Tublay 14 BBO who finished the course. In sum the province of Benguet, as of date has, 184 BBO trained on specimen collection coming from 11 out of its 13 municipalities.
The BBO will mainly assist the PVO and their respective municipal local government units on animal biosecurity concerns at the barangay level. 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 the 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.
This training is implemented in CAR mainly 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. In Benguet, the Municipal Agriculture Office facilitated the identification and invitation of BBO, the PVO provided resource persons and some demonstration materials, while the ATI-RTC-CAR funded the rest of the training resources. Primarily the BBO, through this training, are being capacitated to enhance their skills in collecting specimens for laboratory testing. This include 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 assessment. 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 trainings 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)
