The Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are stepping up efforts to fast-track the approval and rollout of vaccines for African Swine Fever (ASF) and Avian Influenza (AI), aiming for commercial deployment before the end of 2025.
In a meeting held May 19 at the BAI Central Office in Quezon City, Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Dr. Constante J. Palabrica and newly appointed FDA Director General Paolo S. Teston reviewed progress on various vaccine candidates. Some are undergoing field trials, while others are being assessed by BAI’s Veterinary Technical Advisory Committee or have been endorsed for FDA evaluation.
The agencies committed to streamlining regulatory procedures. Under the new arrangement, BAI will endorse vaccine applicants to the FDA, which will then guide them through the approval process.
“Strengthening coordination between the DA and FDA is key to ensuring timely and effective vaccine approval. This will help maintain animal health and support the resilience of our livestock and poultry industries,” Palabrica said.
Meanwhile, the FDA raised concerns over the illegal online sale of unregistered animal vaccines, noting that enforcement authority lies with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). A joint policy framework involving the DA, FDA, DICT, and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is being drafted to tackle this issue.
The FDA also expressed support for a DA proposal to conduct joint inspections of processed agricultural imports to prevent technical smuggling and misdeclaration of goods at ports.