THE government will allow trade partners to maintain exports of hogs and pork products to the Philippines amid outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) under a regionalization scheme.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Administrative Circular (AC) 12, which outlined the requirements for accredited countries that wish to secure bilateral recognition of areas free of the deadly hog disease.
‘The regionalization agreement shall apply to administrative region located outside the restricted regions that have been declared free from ASF by the veterinary authority of the exporting country, and whose status is duly recognized by the Bureau of Animal Industry [BAI],’ the AC 12 read.
Under this agreement, the Philippines will restrict shipments of hogs and their products only from certain areas with confirmed ASF cases instead of imposing a country-wide ban.
Such a move was aimed at cushioning the impact of import bans on the country’s trade and food security, while safeguarding the domestic swine industry.
‘This circular will serve as guidance and requirements governing the importation of swine and swine products, while protecting the Philippines from further spread of ASF.’
Furthermore, the DA said exporting countries that secured a regionalization agreement with the Philippines should submit an annual report to the BAI regarding their respective ASF situation, including surveillance, monitoring, and control measures.
‘This report ensures that the BAI is informed of the ASF status and any developments that may necessitate modifications to the established bilateral ASF regionalization agreement with the Philippines.’
The regionalization agreement will be valid for two years, according to the agency. Once it has lapsed, countries should submit a new application.
The Philippines continues to grapple with the lingering effects of ASF, which slashed hog inventory and crimped pork output since it struck local farms in 2019.
Tight supply then jacked up retail prices of pork to a high of P400 per kilo, which prompted the government to issue a raft of interventions in its bid to ease prices of the protein source.
Such measures included the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork and its ongoing swine repopulation program.
While retail quotations for pork remain high, growers lamented the drop in farmgate price of hogs.
As such, the DA and local producers recently agreed to set a minimum farmgate price for live hogs at P210 per kilo as the liveweight price plunged to the break-even point. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2025/11/05/da-producers-set-farmgate-price-of-live-hogs-at-%E2%82%B1210-kilo/)
Producers raised a caveat that farmgate prices had plummeted between P150 and P180 per kilo, which they said was barely enough to cover production costs for backyard and commercial raisers.
They would also recommend reinstating the tariffs levied on pork to 40 percent from the current 25 percent, citing cheaper foreign shipments as among the rationales behind the swine industry’s predicament.
‘Lower import duties have encouraged over-importation,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. ‘This has flooded the market, squeezed local producers, and endangered both our food security and farmers’ livelihoods.’