PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, PALAWAN — Strengthening swine repopulation and biosecurity, improving farmgate price and market monitoring, developing post-harvest and processing facilities, and enhancing livestock industry data were among the key recommendations generated during the National Sectoral Committee on Poultry and Livestock (NSC-PL) and Agricultural and Fishery Council (AFC) Region 4B Collaborative Dialogue-Meeting held on August 25–26, 2026, in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
The recommendations were identified during discussions among private and public stakeholders composed of PCAF’s consultative bodies, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies, local government units (LGUs), farmer organizations, cooperatives, industry stakeholders, and other partner institutions.
Linking Local Concerns to National Policy
PCAF OIC Deputy Executive Director Cyril Soliaban emphasized the role of NSCs and AFCs in translating grassroots concerns into actionable national policies and interventions, underscoring the need for concrete outcomes from stakeholder dialogues.
DA Regional Executive Director Atty. Christopher R. Bañas, in a message delivered by a representative, likewise stressed collective action among government agencies, LGUs, farmers, private sector, and other stakeholders in addressing sector challenges.
Key Issues and Recommendations
Stakeholders recommended expanding cluster-based swine production, increasing the number of BAI-registered farms, promoting feed formulation and locally available feed resources, and developing post-harvest and processing facilities in underserved areas.
To address low and unstable farmgate prices, stakeholders proposed stronger local price-monitoring mechanisms, consultation with LGUs on appropriate ordinances, and pricing approaches that consider production costs and reasonable returns. The establishment of local registration or accreditation systems for traders and buyers was also recommended to improve price transparency, accountability, and traceability.
For industry planning and policy development, stakeholders called for improved collection, validation, and integration of livestock data at the LGU level into the national management information system to support value-chain analysis, industry roadmaps, and investment planning.
The continuing impact of African Swine Fever (ASF) prompted recommendations to strengthen enforcement of transport, testing, quarantine, and biosecurity measures; enhance surveillance and compliance; improve access to ASF vaccines; and sustain swine repopulation efforts. Stakeholders also emphasized biosecurity awareness among raisers, community-based interventions, climate-resilient recovery measures, and livestock waste management and biogas technologies.
Stakeholders highlighted high feed and transportation costs, compounded by the region’s island geography, as major constraints to livestock production. Stronger collaboration among farmers, LGUs, government agencies, and other stakeholders was emphasized to address fair pricing, market protection, and sustainable production.
Field visit highlights local initiatives
The dialogue was followed by a field visit on August 27 designed to provide participants with opportunities to observe actual agricultural and livestock initiatives in Puerto Princesa City and draw lessons from local practices.
The participants visited BAC Farm, a private agricultural and livestock farm in Barangay Bacungan; the DA Dairy Production and Development Center in Barangay Irawan; and FarmTeach Inc., an accredited Regional Extension Service Provider of DA-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) MIMAROPA, an accredited agri-tourism site of the Department of Tourism (DOT), and a non-government organization.
The field visit complemented the policy discussions by allowing participants to see how agricultural and livestock initiatives are implemented on the ground and to exchange experiences with practitioners and project stakeholders.
From dialogue to action
Recommendations requiring regional action will be endorsed through the AFC mechanism, while concerns requiring national-level intervention will be elevated through the NSC-PL. PCAF will likewise continue monitoring and reporting on the recommendations through its consultative bodies.
The activity forms part of PCAF’s continuing efforts to strengthen participatory governance by ensuring that the concerns, experiences, and recommendations of farmers and other stakeholders are brought into agriculture and fisheries policy discussions. | Bernard Masa
