The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will no longer issue permits such as Certificates of Product Registration for veterinary products and the dairy sector, following the transfer of regulatory authority to agencies under the Department of Agriculture (DA).
In a joint advisory, FDA Director General Atty. Paolo Teston and Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Constante Palabrica announced the turnover of regulatory functions to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the National Dairy Authority (NDA), in line with Republic Act No. 12308 or the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act.
Under the new law, jurisdiction over veterinary drugs, veterinary products and biologics, and other animal health products and devices will now belong to the BAI.
Meanwhile, the NDA will oversee the country’s dairy industry—from testing and accreditation of local dairy activities to the regulation of milk and related products across primary production and post-market distribution.
The shift is seen as significant for the dairy sector, which remains heavily dependent on imports. From January to September 2025, the Philippines imported $1.107 billion worth of dairy products, a 7% year-on-year increase. However, imports dropped to $109.7 million in September 2025, a 25% decline.
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) earlier identified the FDA as the top source of complaints among government agencies from January to October 2025.
According to ARTA, it received 599 complaints against the FDA, citing delayed processes and failure to act within the prescribed time under the Ease of Doing Business Law.