In line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to safeguard the country’s swine and poultry sectors — key pillars of food security and rural jobs — the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are stepping up their partnership to fast-track the rollout of vaccines against the African swine fever (ASF) and Avian Influenza (AI).

Top officials of both agencies met on 19 May at the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) office in Quezon City to align their efforts and streamline the regulatory process for promising vaccine candidates.

Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Dr. Constante Palabrica and newly appointed FDA Director General Paolo Teston discussed the updates on ongoing vaccine trials, with hopes of a commercial rollout by late 2025.

Some vaccines are already undergoing field trials, while others are under review by the BAI’s Veterinary Technical Advisory Committee. Several have been endorsed to the FDA for regulatory review.

To speed things up, the BAI will refer vaccine applicants directly to the FDA, which will in turn provide feedback and guide them through the approval process.

The BAI’s ASF Prevention and Control Program shared data on the live attenuated ASF vaccine, including its current usage and farm coverage.

Palabrica emphasized the urgency of coordination: “Timely and effective vaccine approval depends on strong regulatory collaboration. This is crucial to protecting our livestock and poultry industries and ensuring that we’re ready for commercial rollout.”

The meeting also tackled the growing problem of unregistered vaccines being sold online. While the FDA confirmed that enforcement falls under the Department of Information and Communications Technology, officials proposed a joint policy framework involving the DA, FDA, DICT, and the Department of Trade and Industry to crack down on the illegal sales.