Constante Palabrica, Undersecretary for Livestock at the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA), said in a interview with a South Korean media on May 25, 2026 that:
“To prevent African swine fever (ASF), blocking quarantine alone is not enough. Vaccinations must be carried out at the same time to ensure an effective response. Blocking quarantine lowers the risk of disease inflow, and vaccines play a role in preparing for the actual risk of infection.”
How do you evaluate the ASF vaccine being developed by Korean companies?
The test results secured so far are quite impressive. In particular, it is understood that the defense effect and safety are being confirmed not only in vaccinated breeding pigs but also in their piglets.
We still have to wait for the final result, but if the test is completed as scheduled, the end of the third quarter in the Philippines this year, the possibility of commercial use can also be expected during the fourth quarter.
From the Philippines’ point of view, effective means to control ASF are urgently needed, so they are watching with great interest.
What is the current ASF situation in the Philippines?
In the Philippines, ASF officially occurred in July 2019. Since then, it has caused a great deal of damage to the whole pig industry. Approximately 40-50% of the total breeding scale was affected. In terms of sock, nearly half of the scale was lost.
The government has implemented various measures such as movement control, strengthening quarantine, and establishing a local government cooperation system. However, since the Philippines is a country composed of more than 7,000 islands, it is not easy for the central government to uniformly control all regions.
In addition, the proportion of so-called ‘backyard farms’ in the form of small family farms is high. Unlike large commercial farms, it is often difficult to apply quarantine standards, so there was considerable difficulty in preventing the spread of ASF.
In response, the government is not only strengthening biosecurity but also implementing vaccination policies. About 500,000 doses of the ASF vaccine secured by the government have already been supplied to farms and most of them have been used.
How do you think ASF started in the Philippines?
It is understood that the initial occurrence began on a small farm. In particular, the process of using food residues as pig feed is pointed out as one of the main causes. In some parts of the Philippines, there was a practice of collecting leftover food from restaurants and feeding pigs.
ASF virus can survive for a long time even within unprocessed pork products. It is assumed that the virus was introduced into the farm as the leftovers containing infected pork were used as feed.
What is the size of the Philippine pig industry?
It is about 1 million sows. Assuming that a sow produces an average of 10 piglets, the total breeding scale is about 10-11 million, which is similar to that of Korea.
Livestock industry accounts for a significant proportion of Philippine agriculture. In particular, pork is one of the most preferred protein sources for Filipinos. However, after ASF, some consumption has shifted to chicken meat due to supply shortages and rising prices.
What is the productivity of the Philippine pig industry?
On average, the annual number of shipped heads (PSY) per sow is about 15-17 heads. However, currently, globally competitive farms have more than 25 PSYs. Excellent farms can be more than 30 heads.
I think the Philippine pig industry still has a lot of room for productivity improvement. One of the reasons for low productivity is that farmers have been passive in introducing external genetic resources since ASF. Farm operations have become quite conservative due to concerns that bringing in new breeding or improved varieties could increase the risk of disease influx.
What policies are being pursued by the government to improve productivity?
I don’t think it’s enough to simply spread good seed money. Farming education and the establishment of a blocking quarantine system must be carried out together. The government is pushing for re-entry for ASF-affected farmers, and is supporting industrial recovery by supplying highly productive seedlings.
Recently, a bill has also been drawn up to invest around USD 325.34 million of livestock support annually over the next 10 years. The funds will be used for animal health, facility modernization, educational programs, and the distribution of excellent breeding.
Based on your 44 years of experience in the pig farming industry, what do you think is the core of ASF response?
The biggest lesson is that ASF cannot be prevented by simple quarantine. Blocking quarantine is essential, but that is not enough. In fact, even the second-largest pig company in the Philippines, where I worked, spent enormous costs on establishing a quarantine system such as disinfection, movement control, and diagnostic tests, but did not completely prevent the occurrence of ASF.
In the case of Korea, wild boars have been pointed out as a major medium for the spread of the ASF virus due to their topographical characteristics, and various quarantine policies have been implemented, including the installation of a fence to block movement. However, ASF is difficult to fully control with any one means because it can spread through various routes, such as wildlife, feed, and vehicle movement.
After all, the most effective response is to promote thorough quarantine and vaccination at the same time. Blocking quarantine lowers the risk of disease inflow, and vaccines play a role in preparing for the actual risk of infection. In my experience, I can practically control ASF and protect the pig industry only when both policies are applied together. I think this is an important lesson that can be applied not only to the Philippines but also to all pig countries, including Korea.
How do you rate Korea’s pig industry?
Korea is a country with a very modern production system. There is also a lot to learn from in terms of productivity. I think innovation is, after all, learning and applying the best practices of other countries. I want to learn Korea’s production system, management method, and know-how in farm operation and apply it to the reality of the Philippines. As Korea consumes high pork consumption and has excellent production efficiency, I think it is a good model for the Philippines to refer to.
What has changed the most since becoming a private company manager and a government official?
In the private sector, all criteria for judgment were corporate profitability and efficiency. However, the most important goal in the government is to provide services to the people and to protect food security.
In private companies, decisions can be implemented within hours if they are made, but the government has to consider various interests and procedures. It takes numerous consultation processes to implement any policy. However, thanks to my experience in the private sector, I am well aware of what is inefficient. Now, using such experience, we are trying to improve the government system little by little.
Do you have any message you want to convey to the Korean side?
There are many things that Korea and the Philippines can cooperate with each other for the development of the livestock industry. In particular, in the field of ASF response, I think the two countries can share their experiences and skills.
If the ASF vaccine being developed by South Korea is successfully commercialized, it will be helpful not only to the Philippines, but also to several countries suffering from ASF. It is hoped that the two countries will cooperate together to create a safer and more sustainable livestock industry.