FOOD safety programs were allocated more than P4 billion in funding in 2025, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said in a statement.
The allocations include P3.298 billion for inspection, border control, and other regulatory services, P1.197 billion for integrated laboratories, and P85.219 million for food testing support, it said.
The announcement was made in conjunction with Food Safety Awareness Week, jointly organized by the DA and the Department of Health, which focused on deploying scientific measures to ensure food safety.
Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Alvin John F. Balagbag said at the opening ceremony that the DA Inspectorate and Enforcement Office has conducted 124 inspection and condemnation activities, confiscating unsafe and unregulated agri-fishery products valued at P1.18 billion.
In 2026, the DA is proposing a P4.37-billion budget for such programs to upgrade laboratories and the food-safety regulatory regime.
The DA also reactivated its Food Safety Focal Group to harmonize safety standards across agencies and is finalizing a memorandum of agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for joint inspection of agricultural shipments to curb smuggling.
FDA Director General Paolo S. Teston, who also serves as alternate chair of the Food Safety Regulation Coordinating Board, said the agency will soon launch a Food Safety Contact Center to address public concerns about food handling, processing, and distribution.
According to the World Health Organization, around 1.6 million people worldwide fall victim to contaminated food daily. The organization has recorded 200 diseases caused by unsafe food.