THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said that based on their assessment, there are still no cases of foot and mouth disease among the animals living in the Philippines.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dante Palabrica said that they are ready to respond to the case should it be reported.

Presently, the cases had been tallied in India, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

“Right now, we have activated a system of reporting so that at the southern part of the country, mache-check natin ang pagpasok ng foot and mouth (disease,)” he told reporters.

Likewise, Palabrica said that they had created a technical working group to monitor the issue.

Also, he said that the vaccines against foot and mouth disease are expected to arrive in the country by June this year.

“We’re now studying na mag-stockpile ng bakuna ng foot and mouth (disease). It’s in process by now. Para 'pag pumutok, meron tayo agad bakuna. Ring vaccination. Ang nangyari sa Indonesia, it took them three months bago maka-react at makakuha ng bakuna,” Palabrica said.