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Under the EO, the President authorized both the Philippine
Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)
to coordinate with local government units and the Philippine
National Police in monitoring and ensuring nationwide compliance
of whatever steps the Department of Agriculture (DA) will
implement to reduce the Brontispa infestation.
In
a related development, the DA approved the Special Quarantine
Order No. 1 of the BPI, which sets the implementing steps
in compliance with EO No. 664.
Movement
of palm seedlings, plants, and germinated seednuts from quarantined
provinces to noninfected areas is prohibited by this BPI order.
Exempted are planting materials with special transport permits
issued by the BPI proving that they have complied with strict
quarantine measures, including their quarantine in contained
facilities.
The
importation of palm seedlings, plants and germinated seednuts
is also prohibited if these materials are sourced from countries
or parts of countries with known and reported Brontispa infestation.
However,
if imports come from countries still known to be free of this
beetle infestation, the imports will be allowed provided the
importers comply with strict quarantine measures.
The
EO's penalties for violators range from just the confiscation
of the planting materials to seizure plus a cash fine equivalent
to P500-P1,000 per seednut or seedling.
In
support to the fight against this pest, PCARRD, together with
PCA, has conducted a technology forum and policy on brontispa
last August 24 where national and local government units (LGU),
nongovernment, and private stakeholders in the coconut industry
mapped out an integrated control strategy of CLB. PCARRD is
also supporting the research and development on the toxicity
issues of the recommended chemical control.
Further,
the Philippine Senate through Senator Edgardo D. Angara delivered
a privilege speech to approve the motion to declare affected
coconut-producing provinces as calamity areas. In effect,
the LGUs can use its calamity funds to control CLB. (Pia Paula
Mateo, S&T Media Service)
*(Photo
courtesy of the Brontispa Action Team-Technical Working Group)
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