DR. TEODULO TOPACIO JR. has been an authoritative figure in animal production and health in the country for more than 50 years.

Based on his achievements in veterinary medicine, President Arroyo conferred on him the rank and title of National Scientist through Proclamation 1762 on May 7. Mrs. Arroyo led the conferment ceremonies in Malacañang on June 17.

Born on November 30, 1924, he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines (UP).

Dr. Topacio has served both government and nongovernemnt agencies including international funding agencies such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) and the World Health Organization.

As a member-at-large of the governing board of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), he was instrumental in recommending the creation of the council’s Division of Veterinary Medicine, which was approved by the board and ratified by its general membership on March 12.

The creation of the NRCP’s Veterinary Division was deemed timely in the light of the recent developments on bird flu and ebola disease, the current A(H1N1) flu virus, and the rabies and other animal diseases transmissible to humans.

Dr. Topacio served the College of Veterinary Medicine of UP for more than 25 years, starting as a student assistant until he rose to become professor and appointed as dean of the college by then-UP president Carlos Romulo in 1964.

During this period, he did extensive research on leptospirosis that led to the reocgnition of the disease by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and officially list the disease with significant incidence. The disease affects the productivity of food animals (pigs, cattle and carabaos) because it causes abortion, infertility and weak births.

He also did researches in other animal diseases, such as brucellosis, fascioliasis, distemper of dogs and tumors of animals.

Dr. Topacio’s other renowned accomplishments and contributions to Philippine veterinary medicine:

2005: Led in the drafting of the antirabies bill, which was finally signed by President Arroyo as the Antirabies Act of 2007.

2000: Established the Teodulo M. Topacio Jr. Foundation Inc., with the vision to promote excellence in veterinary education, research and extension, through its mission of assisting government and private agencies in their efforts to upgrade veterinary education and research in the country.

1998: Founded the Philippine Society of Veterinary Public Health (now the Philippine College of Veterinary Public Health).

1994: His peers in agricultural science, recognizing his qualifications and contributions in agriculture and research to the country, elected him to the National Academy of Science and Technology, the highest and most prestigious scientific body of the Philippines.

January 23, 1996: Awarded the Most Outstanding Veterinary Corps Officer Reservist of 1995 for his meritorious contributions and invaluable services to the overall mission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Medical Service and community.

Appointed as project manager, a position equivalent to a bureau director, for the Philippine Animal Health Center, a UNFAO-assisted program that served as the research and diagnostic arm of the Bureau of Animal Industry from 1988 to 1992.

Organized the Univet Veterinary Research Division of Unilab Inc. that produces affordable animal-health products benefiting food-animal producers, particularly small independent back-yard raisers. These products are still being marketed up to the present, testifying to their good quality and acceptability by the consumers.

As a result of the thrust to the back-yard fanners, Univet became the No. 1 company in the field, beating leading American and European veterinary drug companies.

1984 to 1987: Served as team leader and management adviser to the Livestock Development Program of Bangladesh through the ADB. He supervised the training programs for livestock development and organized the vaccine-production laboratories that included the concept of vaccine distribution in all the provinces of the country.

He initiated a research on the development and production of chicken broiler grandparent and parent poultry stocks of Philippine origin during his stint at the then-Philippine Council for Agricultural Research (now Philippine Council for Agricultural Resources and Research Development of the Department of Science and Technology) of the Department of Agriculture.

1984: The University of the Philippines Diliman, recognizing his outstanding veterinary academic qualifications and significant contributions in veterinary medicine in teaching, research and extension, appointed him, through then-UP president Edgardo Angara, to the highest academic rank of Professor Emeritus.

He was also awarded the Distinguished Professional Award by the UP Alumni Association. He was also given the Distinguished Award in Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology by then-president Salvador Lopez of UP.

1978 to 1982: Editor in chief, Philippine Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.

1976: Active duty training in the Veterinary Corps of the AFP. He finished the training and was given the rank of major in the reserve force of the AFP.