MANILA, Philippines — The K9 Academy of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) amounting to P100 million, said to be the first in Southeast Asia, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
The academy will enable the PPA to train its own canines to boost port security.
In a statement yesterday, PPA general manager Jay Santiago said the K9 Academy is a joint project of the agency and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Santiago said the academy aims to cater to at least 128 canines and 100 handlers once operational. It is located in Barangay Dolores, Sitio Bana in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
The project is now 75 percent finished, according to the PPA.
There are currently more than 500 K9 units nationwide.
Once the K9 Academy produces its own trained dogs, Santiago said the PPA would be able to save as much as P40 million per year.
A portion of the PPA’s annual budget is allocated for hiring private working dogs and K9 handlers to maintain port security, according to Santiago.
“This is the first K9-dedicated academy in Southeast Asia. So we are really looking forward to our contributions in the security aspect in terms of detection and apprehension of narcotics, explosives and agricultural smuggling, especially because our ports are our main gateways” he said.