October 27, 2022

Philippines' Department of Science and Technology funds mobile lab that provides animal health service

The Philippines' Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Business Innovation through S&T (BIST) Program have funded a mobile lab, known as the Mobile Laboratory Unit (MLU), that is equipped with state-of-the-art animal health diagnostic technologies.

It was designed and created by local veterinary research and diagnostics company BioAssets Corporation. The MLU will be donated to Central Mindanao University (CMU) in Maramag, Bukidnon on October 28 during a launch ceremony.

The mobile biocontainment laboratory, the first of its kind in the Philippines, will initially provide service for both hog and poultry breeders in Bukidnon.  An estimate of five to 10 farms per day requiring diagnostic tests for livestock can be served by the MLU.

The test is equivalent to having 150 – 250 samples pooled and tested in one site. Its establishment will support rapid response to potential outbreaks and improve capacity building and disease surveillance that would enable farmers and veterinarians to craft mitigation strategies, preventive and control measures at the point of need.

The partnership between CMU and BioAssets Corporation and the creation of the MLU under the S4C- BIST Program are essential pieces in the establishment of national programme on disease surveillance. Such programme will help farmers by protecting their animals and the general public by establishing a preventive and control measures for potential zoonotic diseases.

In the province of Bukidnon, there are currently 16,007 backyard hog raisers and 71 commercial hog raisers across its 22 municipalities. In December 2021, a total of 251 poultry farms have been recorded to be in the province. With the significant number of hog and poultry raisers present in Bukidnon, it is necessary that the MLU be made available in the area to support disease diagnostics needs.

- BusinessMirror