0
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the newly enacted Republic Act 12308, or the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act (AIDCA), will modernize the Department of Agriculture’s livestock, poultry, and dairy programs—allocating P200 billion over 10 years to support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s goal of a food-secure and resilient agricultural economy.
Signed into law by the President on September 25, AIDCA will take effect by mid-October following its publication in the Official Gazette.
The law elevates the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to a line agency of the Department of Agriculture, expanding its regulatory oversight. It also strengthens the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and National Dairy Authority (NDA) by assigning them expanded mandates, including in biotechnology and vaccine development. The law will help develop local capacity to create vaccines and response protocols for major animal health threats such as African Swine Fever (ASF), Newcastle Disease, and Avian Influenza—reducing dependence on foreign supplies and improving national biosecurity.
Central to AIDCA is the creation of the Animal Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (AnCEF), which will allocate P20 billion annually from tariffs collections from livestock, poultry and dairy. Of this, 26 percent will go to repopulation and herd build-up which will be allocated as follows: 70 percent of which is earmarked for the hog sector, 20 percent for poultry, and 5 percent each for native and other animals.
The law also earmarks billions for animal health, climate resilience, and mechanization. P1.2 billion will go toward animal health promotion, P1.8 billion for recovery from biosecurity threats, and P7 billion to modernize postharvest infrastructure such as slaughterhouses and cold storage facilities. Feed development and access to affordable credit are also prioritized.
October 3, 2025/ Department of Agriculture/ The Philippines.
https://www.da.gov.ph
