US, PH to address biochem security threats

THE United States government, through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Cooperative Threat Reduction (DTRA CTR) Program, held a series of meetings from July 27 to August 2 with the Philippine government to discuss current and future biological threat reduction and chemical security capacitybuilding initiatives in the country.

DTRA representatives met officials of the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government for an exchange on a five-year biological threat reduction and chemical security capacity-building program, the development of a subnational level laboratory network and potential future training opportunities on chemical security and biorisk management. Over the next five years, the CTR Program would support activities to enhance interagency systems, communication and other capabilities to prepare the Philippines to prevent, detect, track, report, respond to and secure biothreat agents and chemicals of security concern.

“We are proud to be a partner in the multiyear effort to jointly address biological and chemical security threats,” said Michelle Nalabandian, DTRA CTR program manager. “We value our long-standing partnership with interagency partners in the Philippines and look forward to continuing to work together on threat reduction efforts.”

“[This] would enhance the BAIAnimal Disease Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory to prevent and control the entry and spread of transboundary animal diseases that may pose a threat to the country’s agriculture economy,” said Dr. Reildrin Morales, officer in charge of the Bureau of Animal Industry, as he underscored the importance of upgrading the capacity of the Philippines’ veterinary services and noted that the CTR Program.

The CTR Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) has been a partner of the Philippine government since 2016. In 2021, BTRP concluded a five-year project to renovate seven Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories spread throughout the Philippines. These facilities have increased the Philippines’ capacity to detect and diagnose endemic and emerging diseases in the country and have been critical in the local response to African swine fever, Avian influenza and Covid-19.

DTRA’s Chemical Security and Elimination (CSE) Program is also working with the Philippine government to build a national training center and create a chemical security curriculum in the country. Since 2018, the CSE Program has engaged with the Philippine government and the Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, and Nuclear Response National Team on strategic trade management, chemical transportation security and the development of a national list of chemicals of security concern.