Dr. Constante J. Palabrica, widely known in the agriculture sector as “Dr. Dante,” is the Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for Livestock of the Philippines and the country’s Chief Veterinary Officer to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). A veterinarian by training, he placed sixth in the 1978 Veterinary Licensure Examination and has devoted more than four decades to advancing animal health, livestock production, and food security in the Philippines.
As Undersecretary, Dr. Palabrica leads national recovery and repopulation programs for the swine and poultry industries, including the “1 million pigs per year” initiative. He has spearheaded innovative disease control efforts, including the controlled use of vaccines against African Swine Fever and the establishment of the Animal Vaccine Development Program to support local vaccine production.
Prior to joining government, Dr. Palabrica spent over 40 years with Robina Farms, where he played a key role in expanding the company into one of the country’s leading pig production operations. He continues to contribute to national and international livestock initiatives and policy development.