President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced on Wednesday the completion of the initial phase of safety and efficacy trials for the African swine fever (ASF) which the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has found to produce sufficient antibodies and safe for use.
The President said this development would allow the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a certificate of product registration (CPR) for the vaccines while the second phase of the trials are underway.
“This gives us great hope as we have been waiting for this for a very long time. However, it is not a reason for complacency as we are being continuously warned by those who have studied the vaccine. The vaccine is 80 percent effective. There is still a 20 percent-chance that we need to look out for very carefully,” Marcos said during the opening of the 6th edition of the Livestock Philippines Expo 2023 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
The President said the government is also making progress in the procurement of Avian Influenza vaccines, with the BAI calling on manufacturers to register their products with the FDA while the guidelines to administer the same are being finalized.
“As we identify the shortcomings that we have and acknowledge that there is much work to do, we at the Department of Agriculture shall continue to forge partnerships with the academe and private sector to devise solutions to eradicate these diseases that continue to wreak havoc on our livestock and poultry sub-sectors,” the President said.
Marcos acknowledged the urgent need to revitalize the poultry and livestock sectors considering the problems they face, particularly the effects of ASF and Avian Influenza.
Marcos enumerated current government measures in detecting and preventing the spread of these diseases such as the implementation of the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion, or the INSPIRE Program.
To date, more than 430 farmers’ cooperatives and associations with more than 13,000 members and an estimated 27,500 individual farmers have benefited from this program.
During the event, Marcos stressed the government will remain committed to finding solutions to the challenges confronting the agriculture sector. He vowed to assist farmers in increasing their incomes for them to have more dignified and comfortable lives.
“Rest assured that the government stands firm with you in overcoming our present challenges by implementing data and science-based policies and programs,” the President said.
“We aim to streamline our value chain systems, ease our access to local produce, and cushion the impact of food inflation on the lives of our farmers and our consumers.”
Promising to find ways to increase farmers’ incomes and regain the sense of pride that has been lost, the President expressed hope “to bring back nobility to a profession that has sacrificed so much to feed and nourish us for many, many generations.”
President Marcos, who concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture, also encouraged the participants to make the most of the knowledge and tools made available at the trade fair to establish a more food-secure, sustainable, and resilient Philippines in the years ahead.
“I also urge all concerned government agencies and stakeholders to engage in productive dialogue and share our best ideas, practices, and technologies to advance our poultry and livestock industries,” he said.
The President lauded the officials at the Department of Agriculture and Informa Markets Asia for successfully spearheading the event. According to him, it is only through such cooperation that the country can realize its dreams of progressively expanding and modernizing the poultry and livestock industries. PND
