Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said the inclusion of a ₱1-billion Bio-Safe biosecurity enforcement program in the 2026 Department of Agriculture (DA) budget is a critical step toward preventing smuggling and food crises before they spiral into price shocks and shortages.
“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),” said Pangilinan, who is a bicam panel member as Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Finance.
The DA’s Bio-Safe program includes biosafety, biosecurity, and surveillance (BSS&S) measures across agriculture (crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries) in farms, laboratories, and facilities.
Through its BSS&S system, DA issues containment protocols, updated surveillance, engineering controls in facilities, and standardized procedures for handling biological agents. For livestock, for instance, measures can 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.
The senator said past food emergencies have shown that delayed response costs more than early prevention—both in public funds and in hunger.
ASF wiped out an estimated 5 million pigs, caused at least ₱200 billion in losses, and slashed the national hog inventory by more than 20%, driving pork inflation to around 20% in 2021 and keeping retail prices high and volatile in the years that followed.
While pork remained safe to eat, supply shocks and weak market controls left consumers paying more. Many farmers, especially backyard raisers, lost 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 multiple regions, causing temporary shortages and localized spikes 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.
Bio-Safe also indirectly but materially impacts food smuggling by raising detection rate and tightening sanitary / phytosanitary biosecurity filters on imports. Its enforcement requires tight coordination between DA and Bureau of Customs, especially in economic sabotage cases.
“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.