An Act to Prevent the Introduction into the Philippine Islands of Dangerous Communicable Animal Diseases, to Prevent the Spread of Such Diseases within the Islands, and for Other Purposes

October 10, 1907

ACT NO. 1760

AN ACT TO PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION INTO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS OF DANGEROUS COMMUNICABLE ANIMAL DISEASES, TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF SUCH DISEASES WITHIN THE ISLANDS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SECTION 1. For the purposes of this Act domestic animals are hereby defined as horses, mules, asses, cattle, carabaos, hogs, sheep, goats, dogs, deer, and circus animals or those intended to be used for show purposes.

SECTION 2. For the purposes of this Act a dangerous communicable animal disease is hereby defined as glanders or farcy, surra, rinderpest, hemorrhagic septicemia, hog cholera, foot-and-mouth disease, or any other acute communicable diseases which may cause a mortality of over five per centum in the period of one month. ETHIDa

SECTION 3. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation knowingly to ship or otherwise bring into the Philippine Islands any animal suffering from infected with, or dead of any dangerous communicable disease, or any effects pertaining to such animal which are liable to introduce such disease into the Philippine Islands: PROVIDED, That any such animal or effects may be permitted by the Director of Agriculture to enter the Islands under such conditions as to quarantine, cremation, or other disposal as he may direct, or which shall be deemed by him sufficient to prevent the spread of any such disease.

SECTION 4. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation knowingly to ship, drive, or otherwise take or transport from one island, province, municipality, township, or settlement to another any domestic animal suffering from any dangerous communicable disease or to expose such animal, either alive at dead, on any public road, street, or highway where it may come in contact with other domestic animals.

SECTION 5. Whenever the Secretary of the Interior shall declare that a dangerous communicable animal disease prevails in any island, province, municipality, township, or settlement, and that there is danger of spreading such disease by shipping, driving, or otherwise transporting or taking out of such island, province, municipality, township, or settlement any class of domestic animals, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to ship, drive or otherwise remove the kind of animals so specified from such locality except when accompanied by certificate issued by authority of the Director of Agriculture stating the number and kind of animals authorized to be shipped, driven, taken, or transported, their destination, the manner in which they are authorized to be shipped, driven, taken, or transported, and their brands, and distinguishing marks. Such certificate shall also state that the animals in question have been inspected by a duly authorized agent of the Director of Agriculture and found free from dangerous communicable animal diseases and shall give the date of such inspection.

SECTION 6. The Director of Agriculture is hereby authorized —

(a) To maintain inoculation, quarantine, and detention stations for domestic animals in such places as may be approved from time to time by the Secretary of the Interior, and to place all animals arriving from foreign and domestic ports or interior places in quarantine for such time as he may deem necessary to prevent the introduction and spread of dangerous communicable animal diseases.

(b) To inspect all domestic animals arriving by boat, rail, or otherwise in the cities, ports, or places where quarantine stations are maintained and in such other places as he may deem necessary for the purpose of preventing the introduction and spread of dangerous communicable animal diseases within the Philippine Islands.

(c) To require that animals which are suffering from dangerous communicable diseases or have been exposed thereto be placed in quarantine at such place and for such time as may be deemed by him necessary to prevent the spread of such disease.

(d) To require the cleaning and disinfecting of any utensil, place, corral, yard, or building deemed by him to be infected with dangerous communicable animal disease, and to prohibit the keeping of any domestic animals in such place, corral, yard, or building until it has been placed in a sanitary condition.

(e) To require the cleaning and disinfecting of any boat, car, vehicle, or other conveyance deemed by him to be infected with dangerous communicable animal disease, and to prohibit its further use for transporting domestic animals until it has been placed in a sanitary condition.

(f) To cooperate with provincial and municipal boards in the suppression of dangerous communicable animal diseases and in the establishment and maintenance of municipal slaughterhouse and milk-inspection system, the object of which shall be to prevent the slaughter and sale of animals having diseases or injuries of such a nature as to render the meats and other food products derived from them dangerous or unwholesome for human food.

SECTION 7. Whenever the Director of Agriculture shall order any animal placed in quarantine in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the owner of such animal, or his agent, shall deliver it at the place designated for the quarantine and shall provide it with proper food, water, and attendance. Should the owner or his agent fail to comply with this requirement the Director of Agriculture may furnish supplies and attendance needed, and the reasonable cost of such supplies and attendance shall be collectible from the owner or his agent.

SECTION 8. Any person violating any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand pesos, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court, for each offense.

SECTION 9. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth nineteen hundred. cSEDTC

SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

ENACTED, October 10, 1907.