DA chief downplays ASF impact, says pork shortage won't happen
At A Glance
- Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. downplayed on Monday, Aug. 12 the effects of the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in eight municipalities in Batangas.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. downplayed on Monday, Aug. 12 the effects of the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in eight municipalities in Batangas.
Speaking to reporters in a chance interview on the sidelines of the agency's 2025 budget hearing, Laurel said that the ASF was only confined to farms within these municipalities.
“It's farm-based ang lockdown ngayon (for now). Hindi naman buong municipality o buong probinsya kaya magkakaroon pa rin ng movement,” he noted.
(The entire municipality or the entire province isn't affected so there will still be movement.)
As such, Laurel doesn't see a pork supply shortage happening as a result of the situation in Batangas.
"Wala naman akong nakikitang perceived shortage kasi ang mangyayari ngayon, yung mga let’s say--katulad sa mga munisipyong merong ASF,--hindi naman total na ila-lockdown at walang lalabas,” the DA chief said.
(I don't see any perceived shortage because what's happening now is, let's say--like the municipalities affected by ASF--they won't be totally locked down when it comes to product movement.)
At any rate, Laurel says the agency has stepped up its implementation of the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program, which is meant to help in the hog repopulation efforts.
“Wala akong nakikitang shortage naaman (I don't see any shortage). While there is now ASF, we also have the INSPIRE repopulation program na tuloy-tuloy naman yan eh (which is continuous). Definitely hindi ang shortage dati, hindi mangyayari yan (Definitely, the shortage that we experienced before won't be happening),” he said.