A modern animal disease laboratory is now open to provide accurate diagnosis of major animal diseases and protect the livestock and poultry industries in Central Luzon, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday.

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) in Paraiso, Tarlac City aims to provide advanced service through modern technologies to ensure a healthy and resilient animal sector in the region.

Dar said the laboratory is funded by the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency (US DTRA) which provides services and tests needed for trade, disease surveillance, animal health, regulatory, and research. It will also serve as a training facility for veterinary clinicians, students, and professionals.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said the laboratory will conduct surveillance and testing on local agricultural samples from Region III and surrounding areas.

“This RADDL will benefit the province of Tarlac by leading to the ability for rapid submission of samples and a much quicker diagnosis of potential animal diseases. This lab will also help the province diminish their human rabies cases by means of early diagnosis and post prophylaxis treatment,” said Dr. Joely Ongtangco, Chief of RADDL III.

The completion of the laboratory is a product of the partnership between the Department of Agriculture and DTRA's Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP). 

"We are confident that this partnership will strengthen the Republic of the Philippines’ ability to detect, diagnose, and report dangerous pathogens affecting the agriculture sector to include priority diseases such as African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza,” said Dr. Ada Bacetty, chief of BTRP.

Since 2016, Bacetty said BTRP has invested approximately $25,000,000 in its partnership with the Philippines. 

“Now with this facility here, we are positive that we can prevent and hopefully put an end to the most dreaded animal disease that is the African Swine Fever that has paralyzed the country’s hog industry for more than a year now, and has threatened to demolish the billion-peso industry,” Dar said.

At present, there are RADDLs in Region 2, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro City, General Santos City, and Davao.

Dar said the department is set to establish a Transboundary Animal Diseases Center at the Central Luzon State University in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, which will handle transboundary diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF), avian flu, and other emerging animal diseases.

“We will connect these centers to other laboratories like the RADDL to protect the country’s poultry and livestock industries,” Dar added. (With a report from Roy Mabasa)