DA sets aside P140 million for animal vaccine development

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture has allocated P140 million for the development of locally produced animal vaccines, to protect the country’s livestock industry from future disease outbreaks.

The program is set to run during a three-year period to develop vaccines against the African swine fever (ASF) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Funding will be divided, starting with P77.6 million for 2026, P30.6 million in 2027 and P32.7 million in 2028.

Researchers under the program will initially focus on identifying potential vaccine candidates for ASF and FMD.

The Animal Vaccine Development Program (AVDP) will be run in collaboration with the National Livestock Program, the Bureau of Animal Industry, the Philippine Carabao Center and Central Luzon State University.

The AVDP will also support the country’s push to expand its animal health research and innovation.

A Biosafety Level 3 facility will also be constructed to allow scientists to handle high-risk animal pathogens and accelerate vaccine development. It will also support further research, technical training and disease preparedness efforts.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that the vaccines developed in the Philippines could offer a key advantage over the imported counterpart as it could be tailored to target local pathogen strains and improve its effectiveness in preventing outbreaks.

“Investing in science, research and innovation is critical to protecting livelihoods, strengthening our food systems and building a more resilient future for the livestock sector,” Tiu Laurel added.

The country is currently recovering from the effects of the ASF, which has decimated hog populations and caused billions in farmer losses since its initial outbreak in 2019.

On the other hand, there are no cases of FMD in the country. However the DA says that outbreaks in neighboring countries continue to threaten the livestock sector and stresses a need for stronger preventive measures.