MANILA: Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Thursday the country would soon have access to vaccines against African swine fever (ASF). 'Malapit nang lumabas 'yung approval sa vaccine for the swine (The approval of the vaccine for swine will be released soon),' Tiu Laurel said on the sidelines of the distribution of the presidential assistance for farmers, fisherfolk, and families in Calabayog City, Eastern Samar. Tiu Laurel said the vaccines are from Vietnam and are "effective" against ASF. 'The vaccine from Vietnam really works. So, that solves our problem,' he added. The agri chief said they expect to receive the approval of its commercial trial from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in two weeks, to be followed by its commercial distribution. '(The) FDA and the DA are working very closely on this. Ang ganda ng teamwork naming (Our teamwork is good),' Tiu Laurel added. Besides the approval of ASF vaccines, he also cited the need for more stringent border control measures to prevent the entry and spread of other diseases, such as bird flu and Q fever. Earlier, the DA announced the target operation of one of its five Cold Examination Facility for Agriculture (CEFA) in Bulacan in January or February 2025. A CEFA is a sanitary phytosanitary inspection facility for imported animals, fish, plants, and other agricultural products. Other CEFA shall be established in Subic, Manila, Davao, and General Santos City, with a budget of about PHP1.2 billion. Source: Philippines News Agency