Expats & Diplomats
US, PH complete P1-B agricultural program



The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) completed the final phase of a five-year biological threat capacity building partnership with the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) valued at nearly P1.1 billion.

Beginning in September 2016, BTRP and the DA collaborated to build or renovate seven Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories (RADDLs) in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The program also included the provision for Philippine counterparts to participate in 15 bio-safety and security courses, 26 quality management courses, four table-top exercises, 27 laboratory staff workshops, and support to the Regional Institute of Tropical Medicine through equipment fielding and training.