June 22, 2026
 

Philippines' Virginia Farms opens P2.8 billion breeder piggery in Cebu amid regional ASF recovery

The 5,000-sow facility marks the company's third farm in the province as Central Visayas hog production seeks to rebound from African Swine Fever-driven declines.

Virginia Farms Inc. has inaugurated a 5,000-sow breeder piggery in Aloguinsan, Cebu, representing an investment of approximately P2.8 billion (approximately US$48.7 million) covering the company's ongoing expansion projects this year.

The facility, situated on 45 hectares in Barangay Saksak, is the company's third farm in the province. The Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas (DA-7) said the expansion strengthens the region's livestock industry and supports food security objectives. Angel Enriquez, DA-7 Regional Director, said Central Visayas hog production grew from 163,531 metric tons in 2015 to 248,000 metric tons in 2023, before declining sharply to 218,000 metric tons in 2024 and 141,000 metric tons in 2025 due to African Swine Fever in the region, with the reclassification of some provinces under the newly created Negros Island Region also contributing to the decline.

Enriquez said Virginia Farms was the only major operation in the region not affected by the ASF outbreak, attributing this to the company's strong biosecurity protocols. He also credited the company's backyard farmer assistance programme.

The piggery is designed as a breeder production facility supplying breeder stocks for commercial hog operations, complementing the company's other expansion sites including Asturias. It features multi-layer fencing systems, strict sanitation protocols and controlled entry procedures aimed at preventing disease outbreaks.

Rolando Tambago, President of Virginia Farms and Chairman of the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, said local production is critical to food security stability, citing geopolitical risk to supply chains amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. He noted Cebu's per capita pork consumption is estimated at around 20%, compared with the national average of 15%, underscoring the need to strengthen domestic output in high-consumption areas.

The inauguration coincided with Cebu recording an inflation rate of 13.6% in May, up from 12.9% in April, according to Philippine Statistics Authority data. Provincial Administrator Ace Durano attributed the elevated rate to a persistent shortfall in local food production and said the provincial government will coordinate with the PSA to further analyse inflation components linked to food supply and logistics costs.

- BusinessMirror