WHEREAS, Panama disease of banana (Fusarium wilt) is one of the most destructive/devastating fungal diseases of banana worldwide caused by a fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. Cubense that inhabits the soil;

WHEREAS, based on the initial survey conducted by the Provincial Agricultural Officer, Plant Quarantine Service and private stakeholders, it was found out that about 620 hectares of banana plantations in Mindanao were sporadically infected with Fusarium wilt;

WHEREAS, it has been reported and verified that Fusarium wilt already exists in the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Davao City, Compostella Valley, Bukidnon, North and South Cotabato;

WHEREAS, banana is the country ™s leading fruit crop and second largest agricultural export commodity next to coconut oul, and the industry generates earnings of around $300 million annually and contributes around 11% (Php 20.0 Billion) per year to the agricultural sector;

WHEREAS, if the spread of this disease is not controlled, it may eventually wipe out the entire banana and abaca industries in the country;

WHEREAS, in order to safeguard the banana and the abaca industries from this disease, it is imperative that appropriate border control and quarantine measures be properly established to arrest and prevent the spread of the disease from infected to non-infected areas;

WHEREAS, the Mindanao Banana Disease Taskforce formulated the Mindanao Fusarium Action Plan to address the need to prevent further disease spread by conducting continuous monitoring/disease mapping, research and development, enforcing border control and quarantine measures, instituting disease control strategies for the small farmers, and providing stakeholder education;

WHEREAS, Section 17 of PD 1433 otherwise known as the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978 empowers and authorizes the director of the Bureau of Plant Industry to promulgate such quarantine orders, rules and regulations to implement the provisions of the said decree;

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me as the director of the Bureau of Plant Industry under Section 17 of PD 1433 empowers this Special Quarantine Administrative Order is hereby promulgated as follows:

Section 1. The Panama disease of Banana œFusarium Wilt  is hereby declared an injurious and dangerous disease of banana and abaca (Musa spp.)

Section 2. For the purpose of this Administrative Order, the Provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Davao City, Compostella Valley, Bukidnon, North and South Cotabato and such other areas where the disease is found to exist are hereby declared infected with Fusarium wilt and placed under quarantine in accordance with section 8 of PD 1433 as implemented by section 1, Rule VI of BPI Quarantine Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 1981.

Section 3. The movement/transfer/carrying of the following materials from the infected provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Davao City, Compostella Valley, Bukidnon, North and South Cotabato as well as from other provinces which may hereafter be declared infected with Fusarium wilt, to non-infected provinces or sub-provinces within in Mindanao as well as to Visayas and Luzon shall be prohibited:

1. plants and/or its parts thereof of Musa spp of all varieties of banana (Bungulan, Lakatan, Latundan, Saba, Cavendish, etc.);
   
2. plants and/or its parts thereof of Musa spp of all varieties of abaca;
   
3. soil;
   
4. banana and abaca plant parts (except tissue culture-derived plants) used as packing materials for agricultural products;

exceptions from this prohibition are:

1. tissue-cultured banana and abaca plants and/or their parts thereof;
   
2. limited quantities of banana and abaca plants and/or their parts thereof intended for experimental purposes only, provided a prior permit for such purpose is first secured from the director of the Bureau of Plant Industry or his/her authorized representative.

Section 4. The following quarantine and border control measures shall be implemented:

1. Quarantine checkpoints shall be established in municipalities and between provinces where the disease has been identified and verified as existing;
   
2. Inspection of all vehicles, farm equipment, and people passing through the quarantine checkpoints, and disinfection of the same using appropriate disinfectants;
   
3. Confiscation of materials capable of spreading the disease;
   
4. Installation and maintenance of tire/wheel and foot baths at every port/wharf, airport, and entry and exit points in banana and abaca farms.

Section 5. In order to carry out effective plant quarantine measures, the director of the BPI, in accordance with Section 16 of PD 1433, may request the national, provincial, municipal, and barangay officials and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as private stakeholders to assist the Bureau of Plant Industry-Plant Quarantine Service (BPI-PQS) in the implementation/enforcement of the prohibitions and measures stipulated in Section 3 and 4 of this Order to prevent the further spread of the disease.

Section 6. Any person who violates the provisions of this Order or forges, counterfeits, alters, defaces and destroys any document issued by virtue hereof shall be prosecuted pursuant to the penalties imposed under Section 23 of PD 1433 consisting, inter alia, of a fine of not more than PhP20,000.00 or imprisonment from prison correctional to prison mayor, or both at the discretion of the Court.

Section 7. This Order supersedes and revokes prior orders or other issuances contrary to or inconsistent herewith and shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication as required by law.

(SGD.) CLARITO M. BARRON, PHD, CESO IV
Director, Bureau of Plant Industry

Approved:

(SGD.) PROCESO J. ALCALA
Secretary
Department of Agriculture