ILOILO City – More areas in Western Visayas availing themselves of the vaccination program against African Swine Fever (ASF) will expedite the recovery of the region’s swine industry, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Regional Executive Director Dennis Arpia expressed optimism that by 2025, numerous areas, especially on Panay Island and Guimaras, will participate in the initiative.
As of now, only commercial farms in Negros Occidental have been certified to receive the vaccine. These farms were the first to certify, mainly due to their capacity to adhere to strict monitoring protocols required for participation.
“We are gathering support locally, and the DA Central Office is making adjustments to streamline how the vaccine will be rolled out,” Arpia said.
Arpia hopes that by 2025, the national government’s vaccine rollout will be substantial enough to cover more areas.
“The challenge remains in allocation — determining how many can be covered and which areas should be prioritized,” Arpia added.
To safeguard the Philippine swine industry from ASF, the DA issued revised guidelines under Administrative Circular No. 13, Series of 2024, in November.
The new circular amends prior directives related to the controlled use of the ASF vaccine, with adjustments designed to accelerate the vaccination campaign across the nation. These changes will facilitate faster rollout in strategic areas, particularly in barangays that have reported no active ASF cases for at least 40 days or have negative ASF surveillance results in Red and Pink Zones.
Under the amended guidelines, the requirements for farm participation have been eased. However, participating farms must still comply with rigorous monitoring protocols, including regular inspections and documentation submissions to local authorities and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI). The protocols ensure that vaccinated pigs remain free from ASF through stringent sample collection and testing procedures.
The guidelines also updated protocols for the movement of vaccinated pigs, requiring health clearance and mandatory depopulation for pigs that test positive for ASF and show clinical symptoms. These enhanced measures aim to bolster biosecurity and minimize further outbreaks, thus protecting the livelihoods of Filipino hog raisers and ensuring national food security.
In September 2024, the DA – Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) initiated the government-controlled vaccination of ASF among 41 healthy, ASF-negative pigs in small backyard farms in Lobo, Batangas, using 10,000 doses of AVAC live vaccines purchased through emergency procurement.
Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. highlighted plans to expand the controlled vaccination to the Visayas and Mindanao, aiming to incorporate areas such as La Union, Quezon, Mindoro, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Cebu in the testing of the initial 150,000 doses imported from Vietnam.
The DA has allocated approximately P350 million for the procurement of 600,000 doses of ASF vaccines nationwide, underlining the government’s commitment to revitalize the swine sector.
Arpia also noted the gradual recovery of the swine industry in Western Visayas, with a sufficient supply of fresh meat in public markets and relatively stable pork prices. “Confidence in production is returning, but we still face significant challenges, especially in backyard farms, to meet strict biosecurity measures,” he said./PN
