PH animal center
THE Philippines, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), has inaugurated a modern vaccine development center in Nueva Ecija.
The establishment of the P230-million facility is part of government efforts to boost the country’s defenses against animal diseases.
The government has earmarked P151 million for a three-year vaccine development program.
The program entails the procurement of the first biosafety level three laboratory (BSL-3), according to the DA.
It aims to deliver the vaccine prototype by 2028 at the latest.
Dreaded animal diseases include African Swine Fever (ASF), bird flu and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Chicken and swine raisers across the country have been incurring big losses as a result of the outbreak of ASF, FMD and bird flu.
“Kaya, isang magandang balita ang pagbubukas ng Center for Trans-Boundary Animal Diseases (CENTRAD) sa Nueva Ecija,” a vendor said.
The center is seen to serve as the leading agency for the diagnosis, surveillance, research, and technology development related to trans-boundary animal diseases.
The state-of-the-art vaccine center is built adjacent the Central State University (CLSU).
