October 21, 2025

 

 

The Philippines' animal health agency will upgrade several laboratories and its national animal health information system after receiving a grant last year from the Pandemic Fund, a United Nations–backed initiative supporting global pandemic prevention.

 

The Department of Agriculture's (DA) Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said it would use the grant to renovate and upgrade the Philippine Animal Health Information System and the Animal Disease Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory in Quezon City.

 

"Through this financial grant, laboratory networks and infrastructure will be enhanced to enable the detection, characterisation and confirmation of diseases with epidemic potential," BAI said.

 

The funding will also support minor renovation work and equipment procurement for the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories in Cebu City and General Santos City.

 

BAI added that an environmental and social management plan has also been prepared for the Quezon City renovation.

 

The government agency said the measure is designed to prevent or minimize adverse impacts while ensuring compliance with national laws, regulations and international good practices for environmental and social performance.

 

In November last year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank announced that they would implement a US$24.9 million grant to help the Philippines strengthen disease surveillance and laboratory systems for both humans and animals.

 

The grant for the Resilient Philippines project is part of the second round of the US$418 million Pandemic Fund, which finances pandemic preparedness initiatives across 50 countries.

 

The project aims to improve disease monitoring, boost laboratory capacity and enable faster detection and response to emerging threats affecting humans, animals and wildlife.

 

-      The Philippine Star