The Department of Agriculture (DA) should prioritize the establishment of first-border inspection facilities as it is a critical investment for the protection of the country’s agricultural sector against pests and diseases, according to Senator Francis Pangilinan.
During the Senate Committee on Finance’s recent hearing on the DA’s proposed 2026 dget, the senator said establishing Cold Examination Facilities in Agriculture (CEFA) sites is a ‘long-overdue’ measure to strengthen the country’s agricultural biosecurity and protect local producers.
He pointed to past agricultural crises-such as the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak and the ‘cocolisap’ infestation-that caused massive losses in the hog and coconut industries, respectively.
‘ASF was precisely because we didn’t have that first border inspection, and that cost us at least for one year P70 billion, maybe more. Even the ‘cocolisap’ infestation, which cost us P4, P5, or P6 billion worth, was [due to] invasive pests,’ Pangilinan said.
The ASF outbreak during the Covid-19 pandemic forced the government to temporarily modify the rates of import duty for fresh, chilled or frozen meat of swine to stabilize supply and prices as the industry suffered from heavy losses.
‘Again, if there is a first border inspection by the Bureau of Plant, Bureau of Animal Industry, this could have been all avoided,’ he said.
While the total cost of the facilities could reach around P1.9 billion for five CEFAs, the DA can already begin construction on three sites to get the project under way, the senator said.
‘At least it is already starting. It’s really putting the necessary funding to prevent losses in the hundreds of billions. So, hopefully, for this year in the 2026 budget, it can be included, even just three,’ he added.
Building CEFA facilities, Pangilinan said, would allow for the early detection and containment of diseases and pests entering through imported agricultural products.
These facilities-equipped with modern laboratories, quarantine areas and inspection systems-are designed to examine imported meat, produce, and plant materials before they are distributed nationwide.