The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it signed an agreement with various agencies and institutions to establish the Animal Vaccine Development Program, which involves an investment of P140.9 million over three years, as reported by BusinessWorld.
The agreement was signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. along with representatives from the National Livestock Program and the Bureau of Animal Industry. The program aims to boost local vaccine production against livestock diseases, reducing reliance on imports and enhancing biosecurity.
The investment comes amid growing threats from animal diseases such as African swine fever and avian influenza, which have hit the Philippine livestock sector hard. Developing homegrown vaccines is expected to support farmers and stabilize food supply chains.