THE Philippines and the United States governments opened the National Virtual Training Center (NVTC) that will enhance the training of public-health personnel, veterinary-health workers, and first responders in tackling biological and chemical threats.
Designed, constructed, and equipped through funding from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) “Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP)” and “Chemical Security Elimination (CSE) Program,” the NVTC is a multi-million dollar advanced training and practical laboratory facility in Silang, Cavite that will increase the quantity and quality of training programs that cover multiple disciplines of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear security.
Through the NVTC, the Philippines will enhance its capacity to train current and future generations of laboratory specialists and first responders in detecting and preventing threats arising from weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
“This facility will house a lecture hall for [training sessions on practical biological diagnostics in a classroom setting, hands-on learning in biosafety and biosecurity at a laboratory classroom. It also has] a virtual reality room equipped with headsets to provide an opportunity to train virtually on a chemical security curriculum,” Program Manager Corey Erff of DTRA said.
Undersecretary Serafin Barretto Jr. of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Director-General Ricardo De Leon of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) president Ferdinando Sevilla, and representatives from Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Office of the President, and University of the Philippines attended the NVTC’s inauguration on February 21.
The DILG and PPSC will oversee the NVTC’s operations, which will be open for use by all government departments, as well as academic and industry partners.
DTRA’s BTRP and CSE programs are working with Philippine government agencies to develop an operational framework that will ensure the facility promotes long-term, sustainable threat reduction efforts.