The group, led by AGAP party list Rep. Nicanor Briones, presented their request to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who indicated that the EUA would require a declaration of a national emergency.
Currently, the Food and Drug Administration has only granted a monitored release status to the vaccine supplier, limiting its availability.
The hog industry representatives argue that an EUA, similar to what was used for COVID-19 vaccines, would enable broader and faster distribution, particularly for backyard piggeries, which raise around 3.8 million piglets and fatteners.
In recent trials conducted by the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Industry, the vaccine demonstrated promising results.
In Lobo, Batangas, tests showed that vaccinated piglets achieved 40 percent antibody levels. The industry hopes for further improvement in future tests, with the potential to vaccinate 6.3 million hogs nationwide.
Since the ASF outbreak began in 2019, the disease has devastated the local hog industry, particularly affecting small-scale farmers.
The group emphasized that mass vaccination could pave the way for the recovery of the swine industry, benefiting both commercial and backyard hog raisers.
Several major industry organizations, including the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines and various cooperatives, signed the letter urging immediate government action.
