Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar visited  the National Swine and Poultry Research and Development Center (NSPRDC) in Tiaong, Quezon on June 24, 2022 to explore its current endeavors, plans, and challenges in advancing the native swine and poultry industries in the Philippines.

The NSPRDC, one of the research and development centers under the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI), is mandated “to conserve, improve, and utilize swine and poultry genetic resources and to develop technologies in swine and poultry farming through research, with focus on enterprise development, additional livelihood, and increasing farmers’ income, particularly the smallhold farmers.”

The Center succeeded in purifying the Banaba and Paraoakan native chickens and developed a mixed pig breed by crossing the Quezon, Kalinga, and Marinduque varieties with one another. It has also formed a niche market, especially for its Itik PINAS for balut and salted egg production.

In order to strengthen the Philippines’ native animal industry, the NSPRDC aims to:

• Develop Itik PINAS pure breed further for meat and egg production;
• Purify, stabilize, breed, market, and commercialize native swine and poultry breeds;
• Propagate multiplier farms for the distribution of native animals; and
• Promote relevance of various NSPRDC research to the native animal industry.

Although unaffected by the avian flu, the Center was not spared from the African Swine Fever (ASF), resulting in the decline of its native swine from an estimated population of 500 to just 50 heads.

Meanwhile, the DA officials also briefly discussed the possible restructuring of the DA’s livestock support agencies through Senator Cynthia Villar’s proposed bill, the Philippine Livestock Industry Development Act, which was filed in July 2019.

If enacted, the Philippine Livestock Agency (PLA) shall be formed by merging the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), the National Dairy Authority (NDA), and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) in order to ensure a safe, sufficient, and competitive Philippine livestock industry.

Present during the Secretary’s visit are NSPRDC OIC-Director Gilbert Bolo, BAI Assistant Director for Production and Research Jonathan Sabiniano, Assistant Secretary for Operations and DA Regional Field Office IV-A Executive Director Arnel de Mesa, and Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Noel Reyes. ### (Krystelle Ymari A. Vergara, DA-AFID)