LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) – A pig housing facility under the Swine Industry Recovery Project (SIRP)-Component 2 is set to be built in Laoag City to stabilize local hog population, revitalize livelihoods, and ensure a consistent supply of pork in Ilocos Norte.
As the first of its kind in the province, the SIRP pig housing facility will serve a dual function: it will act as both a fattening and breeding station for hogs while also serving as a model facility to promote hygienic practices and optimal feeding strategies in swine production.
The facility, valued at P1.5 million, is funded by the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) in Region 1 and is designed to strengthen the city’s swine industry and ensure food security and economic development for local hog raisers.
With a 40-head capacity, the SIRP facility will be equipped with essential infrastructure, including a perimeter fence, storage for feeds, and a shower area to maintain hygiene and biosecurity standards.
The project also covers the procurement of 40 piglets, a four-month supply of feed, veterinary medicines, biologics, and insurance premiums for the initial stock.
This DA initiative aims to standardize hog population while improving and reviving livelihoods for stable pork production in the country.
The SIRP is made up of four components – breeder-based development, innovative finisher operation for farmers, native pig production, and biologics and biosecurity.
The facility provided to Laoag City is under the second component, which focuses on the innovative finisher operation for farmers, specifically the innovative pigpen design.
This component offers two package options: Package 1, which was granted to Laoag City, includes the previously mentioned benefits; and Package 2, with a P3 million budget, provides housing for 80 pigs and piglets, four months’ worth of feed, medicines and biologics, insurance, and contingency funds.
Laoag City Agriculturist Sheila Marie Opelac stated that the facility’s construction is expected to be completed by early 2026, factoring in the election ban on public works.
“The SIRP facility aims to showcase a Dutch technology of swine production. This will be a facility without foul smells because we want to show and teach our hog raisers the proper way of taking care of hogs that follows biosecurity measures to ensure they won’t be infected with African swine fever (ASF),” she added.
In 2019, Laoag City was among those towns affected by the rise of cases of ASF.
The city again recorded ASF cases last December 2024.
According to City Veterinarian Samantha Licudine, the city is currently under a red zone, which refers to an area where confirmed ASF cases exist, indicating an infected zone.
“Once an area confirms a positive ASF case, it is automatically placed in the red zone. Since we recorded a case in the city last December, we need surveillance to be able to apply for the pink zone, which indicates an area where ASF risks are minimized but monitoring remains critical,” Licudine said.
ATI Center Director Javee Bryan Carillo emphasized the importance of revitalizing the hog-raising industry as part of their agricultural initiatives.
“The project aims to increase and strengthen our hog-raising sector once again. So when we were looking for beneficiaries to partner with, Laoag City was among those chosen, and they did not hesitate to accept the project,” he said.
With the upcoming launch of the SIRP facility, Laoag City is taking a step toward securing a resilient hog industry – one that safeguards local livelihoods and also strengthens the town against future shortages in pork supply. (AMB/EJFG, PIA Ilocos Norte)
