June 26, 2026
 

Philippines expects commercial release certification for Vietnamese ASF vaccine by Q3 2026

The AVAC live vaccine, once approved, will be distributed through biologics stores and veterinary outlets registered with the Bureau of Animal Industry, as the country's hog industry continues its recovery from seven years of ASF losses.

The Philippines may receive commercial release certification for the AVAC African swine fever live vaccine from Vietnam as early as the third quarter of 2026, according to Department of Agriculture spokesman Arnel de Mesa.

Once certified, the vaccine will be made available through outlets, biologics stores and veterinary shops registered with the Bureau of Animal Industry. ASF has affected the Philippines' swine industry since 2019, causing billions of pesos in losses. Hog production contracted slightly to 1.66 million metric tonnes in 2025 from 1.7 million metric tonnes in 2024, with eight barangays still recording active ASF cases as of early June.

The Department of Agriculture has also launched a P140 million (approximately US$2.43 million) Animal Vaccine Development Programme to develop homegrown vaccines for both ASF and foot-and-mouth disease.

Chester Warren Tan, President of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc., said vaccine commercialisation would help accelerate industry recovery. He noted that hog populations are growing annually, with significant growth in Mindanao and more moderate expansion in Luzon, and expressed optimism that production growth this year could double the pace seen in 2025.

Tan flagged concerns over current farm-gate pork prices of P170-185 per kilogramme, which are at or below the estimated production cost of P180-200/kg. He said a viable farm-gate price should be in the range of P200-230/kg, and warned that rising pork imports are weighing on producer morale, calling on the government to balance import volumes with stronger support for the domestic industry.

- The Manila Times