BACOLOD CITY — The local government here teamed up with the Negros Occidental provincial government in prohibiting the entry of live birds and poultry products such as meat and eggs from areas affected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu, particularly Luzon, Mindanao, and the neighboring islands of Panay and Guimaras.

As of Monday, inspection and monitoring are being conducted mainly in two major piers in the city, the Bredco and Banago ports.

Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez stressed that they had crafted a joint executive order like what they did since the outbreak of African swine fever in the province.

In Western Visayas, the ban covers the Panay Island provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique and Aklan.

In their joint executive order released over the weekend, Benitez and Governor Eugenio Jose said it will "provide common guidelines and harmonize the policies in relation to the entry of all live domestic and wild birds and their products."

The order also directed all local chief executives in Negros Occidental to strengthen biosafety, hygiene and sanitation standards in poultry dressing plants, live bird markets and poultry farms.

Veterinary inspectors have also been tasked to intercept the entry and confiscate birds and their products from restricted regions during the inspection at seaports, airports, and other points of entry.

Exemptions are allowed for raw poultry meat, both processed and unprocessed; day-old chicks and hatching eggs, including broiler, layer, and breeder; and embryonated eggs, popularly known as balut.

These commodities will be allowed entry regardless of shipping origin subject to compliance with requirements.

Negros Occidental has an P8-billion poultry industry and is among the top poultry-producing provinces in the country.