MANILA—The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced an expansion of the government-controlled vaccination program against African swine fever (ASF) to regions in Visayas and Mindanao, as part of an effort to stabilize the pork supply and control the spread of the disease.

According to the Philippines News Agency, Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stated that the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) will begin controlled testing of ASF vaccines in additional provinces including La Union, Quezon, Mindoro, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Cebu. This follows the initial deployment of 150,000 doses of ASF vaccines imported from Vietnam. The DA's strategy includes administering free vaccines to commercial farms located in red zones—areas severely affected by ASF—to ensure a stable pork supply throughout the country.

The DA-BAI's initial phase of government-controlled vaccinations began with 41 healthy, ASF-negative pigs at small backyard farms in Lobo, Batangas. This site was allocated around 10,000 doses of AVAC live vaccines purchased through emergency procurement. Secretary Laurel highlighted that the overarching goal is to maintain steady pork availability in the market and to manage pricing fluctuations effectively.

The announcement comes amid ongoing challenges with ASF in several regions. As of September 6, the BAI reported that 472 barangays across 109 municipalities and 31 provinces remained classified as red zones. There are ongoing efforts to also expedite trials of ASF vaccines from the United States, Vietnam, South Korea, and Thailand, with the hope that successful trials can lead to broader regulatory approval and implementation.

Assistant Secretary for Swine and Poultry, Constante Palabrica, emphasized the urgency of these trials and noted that all 10,000 vaccine doses are intended to be administered in September to reduce infection pressures in Batangas. Results from these trials are expected to be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration by October for further action.

The government has allocated approximately PHP 350 million for the procurement of 600,000 doses of ASF vaccines, underlining the significant investment being made to combat the spread of ASF and protect the country's pork industry.