By Kenneth Marcos 
On a quiet morning in a small hog-raising community, farmers talk with cautious optimism. After years of losses from African Swine Fever, any sign of recovery offers hope. This week, that hope grew stronger as the Department of Agriculture endorsed a major investment aimed at reviving the country’s hog industry.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. welcomed Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corp.’s (CPF) five-year, US$1 billion expansion plan to increase hog production and help restore the national swine population to pre-ASF levels by 2028. The plan, one of the country’s biggest agriculture investments in recent years, is expected to create new jobs and stabilize pork supply in many regions.
According to Tiu Laurel, the initiative supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s push for a “zero-kilometer food system,” a strategy that aims to produce food closer to where it will be consumed. The goal is to reduce transport costs, improve local food access, and strengthen supply chains that were disrupted during the ASF outbreaks.
“This CPF expansion aligns perfectly with the President’s vision of producing food where it’s needed and advancing agricultural investment to create jobs and ensure food security,” Tiu Laurel said. He also urged CPF to consider putting some of its new facilities near major tourist destinations, where food prices often rise during peak seasons due to high demand and limited supply.
CPF, one of the country’s largest integrated agro-industrial firms, is currently assessing potential sites for new farms and processing facilities. While the company has not yet announced specific locations, its planned investment includes building large complexes that would support breeding, raising, and processing hogs, along with feed production.
The expansion comes at a crucial time. Since ASF hit the Philippines in 2019, millions of pigs have been lost, forcing many backyard and commercial raisers to shut down. Pork prices surged, imports increased, and local supply remained unstable—affecting both farmers and consumers.
The Department of Agriculture has been implementing repopulation efforts and providing support to affected areas, but full recovery has been slow. Industry groups estimate that the country is still short of its pre-ASF herd size, and rebuilding requires both government action and private investment.
CPF’s multi-year plan aims to help fill that gap by boosting local production and improving disease-prevention measures through modern, biosecure facilities. Increased domestic production could also help reduce the country’s reliance on imported pork, a long-standing issue that often affects market prices.
For hog raisers who survived the worst years of ASF, the announcement offers renewed confidence. Many hope that investments of this scale will not only rebuild the national herd but also raise the standards of the local pork industry—making it more resilient against future disease threats.
As the expansion begins to take shape, the DA says it will continue working with private companies to strengthen the agriculture sector and ensure food supply remains stable for Filipino families.
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