PHILIPPINES APPROVES FIRST ASF VACCINE FOR COMMERCIAL SALE

The Philippines has approved its first vaccine against African swine fever (ASF) for commercial sale, marking a major step in the government’s efforts to rebuild the country’s hog industry after years of devastating outbreaks.

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has cleared AVAC ASF LIVE, a live-attenuated, gene-deleted and freeze-dried vaccine developed by AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Company. The vaccine is intended for healthy fattening pigs and may now be purchased by local hog raisers through veterinary outlets and distributors accredited by the government once commercial stocks become available.

The approval comes nearly seven years after ASF was first detected in the Philippines in 2019. Since then, the disease has spread to 76 of the country’s 82 provinces, severely affecting backyard and commercial hog farms and contributing to a sharp decline in the national swine population.

From around 13 million hogs before the ASF crisis, the country’s population has fallen to roughly 8 million, according to the Department of Agriculture. The decline has affected pork supply, pushed prices higher at various points, and resulted in billions of pesos in losses for the local hog industry.

Before the vaccine was cleared for commercial sale, the government had already conducted controlled vaccination activities using AVAC ASF LIVE in selected healthy pigs and registered farms. The latest approval now allows the vaccine to move beyond government-led programs and become more accessible to hog raisers.

Agriculture officials, however, stressed that vaccination will not be the only solution to ASF. Biosecurity, disease surveillance, movement controls, border measures and proper farm management will remain critical in preventing the spread of the virus.

The government is also working to rebuild the country’s hog population through its swine repopulation program. The Department of Agriculture has been procuring breeding animals and aims to significantly increase the national hog population in the coming years, with the broader goal of restoring production levels that existed before the ASF crisis.

Agriculture Undersecretary Constante J. Palabrica has also said the government is seeking about ₱1 billion to help subsidize ASF vaccination, particularly for backyard hog raisers who may have difficulty shouldering the cost of vaccination on their own.

More vaccine options could also become available. The BAI is currently evaluating PROVAC, an ASF vaccine from South Korea, while other candidates from countries such as Thailand and Vietnam may also be considered for approval in the future.

The government has reported a significant decline in ASF cases in 2026, with officials saying outbreaks have dropped considerably compared with earlier periods of the year. Despite the improvement, authorities continue to warn that active cases remain and that strict biosecurity and monitoring are still necessary.

For hog raisers, the commercial availability of the vaccine offers a new tool in protecting healthy animals and supporting the recovery of the industry. But authorities emphasize that vaccination must be combined with strong farm biosecurity, surveillance and responsible animal movement to keep ASF under control.

The approval is therefore being viewed not as an immediate end to the ASF crisis, but as an important new weapon in the country’s long-term fight to protect its hog industry, stabilize pork supplies and bring local swine production back to pre-ASF levels.