MANILA — Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said the inclusion of a ₱1-billion Bio-Safe biosecurity enforcement program in the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is a crucial measure to prevent smuggling and animal disease outbreaks that could trigger food shortages and price spikes.

“Nilalayon nitong line item na palakasin ang ating pagkontrol sa ating mga border, ang pagsubaybay sa mga sakit ng hayop, at ang pagpapatupad ng solusyon mismo sa ground laban sa mga banta tulad ng African swine fever (ASF) at avian influenza. Sumirit ang presyo ng pagkain at naubos ang mga kabuhayan dahil sa mga nangyaring outbreak (The line item aims to strengthen disease surveillance, border controls, and on-ground enforcement against threats such as ASF and avian influenza. These outbreaks have previously driven up food prices and wiped out livelihoods),” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan, a bicameral conference committee member and vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the Bio-Safe program focuses on biosafety, biosecurity, and surveillance (BSS&S) measures covering crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries across farms, laboratories, and agricultural facilities.

Under the BSS&S system, the DA issues containment protocols, updates disease surveillance, enforces engineering controls in facilities, and standardizes procedures for handling biological agents. For livestock, these measures may include perimeter fencing, climate-controlled animal houses, waste management systems, and shower areas.

“Sabi nga, ‘Daig ng maagap ang masipag.’ Sa bawat sakit na di natin naiwasan, malaki ang kapalit para sa mga pamilyang Pilipino (As they say, ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ Every outbreak we fail to prevent becomes a huge price Filipino families are forced to pay),” Pangilinan said.

He said previous food emergencies showed that delayed responses cost more than early prevention, both in terms of public funds and hunger.

ASF outbreaks wiped out an estimated five million pigs, resulted in losses of at least ₱200 billion, and reduced the national hog inventory by more than 20%, driving pork inflation to around 20% in 2021 and keeping retail prices high and volatile in subsequent years.

While pork remained safe to eat, supply disruptions and weak market controls left consumers paying higher prices, with many farmers, particularly backyard raisers, losing entire herds and breeding stock.

Avian influenza outbreaks also strained food security and farmer livelihoods. Since 2017, authorities have culled hundreds of thousands of poultry and recorded H5N1 cases in scores of farms across several regions, causing temporary shortages and localized increases in chicken and egg prices.

“Parati tayong nangangarag, e nangyari na ang pinsala. Sa budget na ito, pipigilan ang pinsala bago pa mangyari (We always scramble after the damage is done. This budget seeks to stop the damage from happening at all),” Pangilinan said.

He added that the Bio-Safe program could also help address food smuggling by increasing detection rates and tightening sanitary and phytosanitary biosecurity filters on imports, which would require close coordination between the DA and the Bureau of Customs, particularly in cases of economic sabotage.

“Gagastos tayo para sa biosecurity, pero kailangan kasabay ang mahigpit na pananagutan para masigurong merong tunay na proteksyon sa mga bukid, daungan, at border (Our biosecurity spending must be paired with strict accountability to ensure funds translate into real protection on farms, ports, and borders),” Pangilinan said.