Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has directed the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to extend the controlled testing of the African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine to more areas across Luzon, as well as in red zones in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Last week, the BAI launched its first round of vaccinations in Lobo, Batangas, which has been heavily affected by the ASF outbreak since the onset of the monsoon season.
“We will cast a wider net to include La Union, Quezon, Mindoro, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Cebu in the BAI’s controlled testing of the initial 150,000 doses of ASF vaccines we have imported from Vietnam,” said Laurel.
The agency said the vaccines are being provided free of charge to hog farmers to support their efforts in combating the disease.
As such, Laurel emphasized that commercial pig farms in highly affected areas would receive the vaccine to protect their stocks.
“Our goal is to ensure a steady supply of pork in the market and stabilize prices,” he added.
On Aug. 30, the DA started the inoculation of hogs against ASF in Batangas.
Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa, the spokesperson of the DA, said the agency prioritized vaccinating small-hold and backyard hog-raisers in Batangas.
Earlier, the agriculture department had increased indemnification for diseased pigs surrendered for culling, raising the compensation ceiling to ₱12,000 for breeders from the previous maximum of ₱5,000.
The government has earmarked ₱300 million to purchase around 600,000 doses of the ASF vaccine from Vietnam, along with an extra ₱50 million to cover inoculation-related expenses.
ASF resurfaced in the Philippines in 2019, spreading to more than 3,800 barangays across 53 provinces by mid-2022. This led to a nearly 25 percent decline in local pork production from June to October 2021 versus the same period in 2020.