The government will set up an inter-agency surveillance mechanisms as part of the whole-nation approach to deter the spread of the new strain of swine flu virus from China, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a virtual press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved on Monday the "proactive recommendations" of the Department of Agriculture in preventing the spread of G4-H1N1 or the swine flu virus.

Specifically, he said the IATF gave its nod for the "setting up of inter-agency surveillance mechanisms for swine farms and workers especially those regularly exposed to pigs."

Quoting IATF Resolution No. 52, Roque said the effort should be actively linked to global efforts to monitor the emerging disease as further research on any emerging disease should be conducted.

The IATF directed the concerned agencies particularly the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, and Bureau of Customs to strictly implement Republic Act No. 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013, especially Section 12, Item (b).

The provision partly states that imported food shall undergo cargo inspection and clearance procedures by the DA and the DOH at the first port of entry to determine compliance with national regulations. Celerina Monte/DMS