President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. giving an interview at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. (Photo from Jean Mangaluz)
PASAY, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday vowed that the government would capitalize on science-based solutions to combat livestock diseases, primarily the African Swine Flu (ASF) and avian influenza.
According to the President, it was time to recognize “the urgent need to revitalize the sector considering the problems that we face, particularly the effects of ASF and avian influenza.”
“With the goal of detecting and preventing the spread of these diseases, we have implemented the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion, also known as 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,” said Marcos during his speech.
According to Marcos, the first phase of the safety and efficacy trials for the ASF vaccine is finished with an 80 percent efficiency rate.
“We are also making progress in our procurement of Avian Influenza vaccines, with the BAI (Bureau of Animal Industry) calling for manufacturers to register their products with the FDA while the guidelines to administer the same are being finalized,” said Marcos.
Marcos, who also serves as the concurrent Agriculture Chief of the country, attended the sixth Livestock Philippines 2023 in the World Trade Center in Pasay City. He was joined by Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban.
The exhibit showcased different agricultural products and services from 300 local and international participants. Feed production, sustainable livestock production, aquafarming, and more were also discussed.