BAI Workshop Enhances Animal Disease Categorization in the Philippines

The Bureau of Animal Industry held a workshop to improve the categorization and prioritization of animal diseases in the Philippines from March 11 to 13, 2025 in San Juan City, Metro Manila. The initiative, led by BAI's Animal Health and Welfare Division (AHWD), National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division (NVQSD) and Veterinary Laboratory Division (VLD), aimed to strengthen the disease control framework of the country.

Using a proposed Philippine framework, experts from various animal commodities and disciplines, including national and local veterinary authorities, and government research institutions assessed the impact of disease and its current local disease control measures on several key factors such as public health risks, economic effect, community acceptance, urgency and level of disease notification, food safety and laboratory capacity. This collaborative effort focused on creating a science-driven, transparent, and evidence-based approach to disease categorization.

By establishing a clear disease categorization process, BAI seeks to optimize resource allocation and enhance disease surveillance, prevention, and control. This initiative is crucial to the long-term sustainability of livestock production and food security in the Philippines. Moving forward, BAI will continue to refine the disease prioritization criteria and continue collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure an adaptive and responsive approach to animal disease management.

Industry leaders, academic institutions, collegial bodies, and other key stakeholders actively participated in the event. Among the attendees were representatives from the Philippine College of Poultry Practitioners (PCPP), Philippine College for Swine Practitioners (PCSP), Philippine College of Veterinary Epidemiologists (PCVE), Philippine College of Veterinary Public Health (PCVPH), and the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA). Also present were members of the Provincial, City, and Municipal Veterinarians League of the Philippines (PCMVLP), Accredited Swine Breeders Association of the Philippines (ASBAP), Association of Rabbit Meat Producers (ARaMP), Beekeepers' Network Philippines Foundation (BeeNet), Federation of Cattle Raisers Associations of the Philippines (FCRAP), and Philippine Association of Broiler Integrators (PABI). Representatives from the National Advisory Committee for Animal Disease Control and Emergency (NAC-ADCE) and various Department of Agriculture (DA) livestock agencies, including the National Dairy Authority (NDA), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), and Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), also participated. Additionally, international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations contributed valuable insights, further enriching the discussions on disease prioritization.