The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday announced the transfer of some regulatory functions to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the National Dairy Authority (NDA) from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
This came after the DA and FDA issued a joint advisory on the jurisdiction shifts following the enactment of Republic Act 12308 or the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act.
Under the transfer, jurisdiction over veterinary drugs, products and biologics and other animal health products and devices will move from the FDA to the BAI.
The NDA will assume “full regulatory authority” over the dairy industry, including testing and accreditation of local dairy products and overseeing production through post-market distribution.
The FDA will continue evaluating applications filed before Oct. 28, with pending cases up to April 25, 2026, to be handed over to the BAI or NDA for final decisions. All FDA-issued permits remain valid until their expiration dates. Applications submitted after Oct. 28 will now be processed by BAI and NDA.
Current fee schedules will remain in effect unless revised by DA agencies following public consultation.
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