Manila, April 9 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday announced the launch of the state-of-the-art vaccine unit at the Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (CenTrAD) in Nueva Ecija province.

The DA-funded CenTrAD is a joint project between the Bureau of Animal Industry and Central Luzon State University (CLSU) to be utilized for the diagnosis, surveillance, research, and technology development against transboundary diseases.

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the facility would help the country fight infectious diseases and prevent economic losses, particularly in the swine and livestock industry.

"The National Animal Vaccination Program is about empowerment-empowering our farmers with ...