Masbate 2nd District Rep. Elisa “Olga” Kho has sought the establishment of a National Policy Framework for the promotion of animal biotechnology to recognize, foster, and advance its significant health and welfare benefits both for animals and humans.
She filed House Bill No. 8152, the proposed “Animal Biotechnology Act,” to call on the government to pursue “sound promotion” of animal biotechnology, accelerate the progress of its science-based studies to conserve, propagate, and protect the health and welfare of animals.
Under the measure, biotechnology has been defined as the use of science and engineering to modify living organisms with the goal of improving animals and to develop microorganisms for specific agriculture use, explore drugs and vaccines for prevention and treatment of diseases, and food technology.
“The urgency of seriously drawing our attention to the benefits of animal biotechnology to humankind brings us back to the crisis in September, 2019, when the hog industry was affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF) wherein 300,000 pigs were culled to prevent contamination in Luzon,” she said.
She noted that the AFS’ economic consequence threatened the country’s biggest industry which has an estimated annual earning of P268 million.
Kho, a medical doctor by profession, strongly urged national government agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) “to go to the forefront of the promotion of animal biotechnology.”
The House leader said she made the call based on the following reasons: animals have been used for years to produce medicines to advance human health; improved animal health and welfare for vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tests resulting to safer foods for consumption; the Animal Health Industry has developed medicines to prevent and treat diseases; and conservation of environment and protection of endangered species.
Kho, who serves as chairperson of the House Committee on Rural Development, said that under the measure, the national agencies will be mandated to come up with a national policy framework on animal biotechnology and set guidelines and strategies for its advancement and implementation.
HB 8152 seeks to establish a National Policy Framework and a 10-year Plan of Action on Animal Biotechnology.
The proposed framework shall have the following essential components: Advancement of Human Health, Improvement of Animal Health and Welfare, Safer Food and Sustainable Food Security Value Chain, Protection of the Environment vis-a-vis Conservation of the Wildlife and Mitigation on Climate Change.
Kho said her bill seeks to provide support and appropriations to existing and new programs through clinical research by acknowledged institutions with expertise on animal biotechnology, related diverse fields of medical/ pharmaceutical capacities, vaccines and diagnostic tests, treatment and prevention of disease especially on cancer, among others.
“it also provides specific support and funding for existing and new programs on animal genomics, genetic engineering of animals of concerned national government agencies, the private sector, and international organizations,” she added.
HB 8152 calls for the creation of a National Committee on Animal Biotechnology to be chaired by the DOST.
The committee is mandated to review existing programs of concerned national departments and its attached agencies engaged in animal biotechnology in order to rationalize and integrate relevant studies, programs and recommendations for the establishment of a national framework.
Members of the proposed National Committee are the head of the NCBP; secretaries or designated undersecretaries of the DA, DENR, and DOH; four members to be recommended by the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines (NASTPhil); and two representatives of the private sector engaged in Animal Biotechnology for the past 10 years.
The Committee shall be activated within six months following the effectivity of the proposed Act. Its members are expected to produce the implementing rules and regulations within three months after the Committee has been constituted.
Kho’s bill provides P40 million funding allocation for the initial implementation of the proposed Act. Thereafter, the funding needed to fully implement the provisions of the proposed Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).