From left: Arnel del Barrio – Technical Consultant, NDA; Dr. Gil Calderon – Acting Dept Manager of Northern Luzon, NDA; Tomás Pascual Recuero, International Director, Calidad Pascual; Michael G. Tan, ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. Board Member; Atty. Marcus Antonius Andaya, National Dairy Authority Administrator; Tomás Pascual, ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. Board Member; Rowena Bautista – Acting Operations Manager, NDA; Dr. Tess Ursal, Project Development Officer IV (Nutritionist), NDA
MANILA, Philippines— With the Philippines aiming to more than double its milk self-sufficiency rate from around 2% to 5% by 2028, ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. and the National Dairy Authority (NDA) have strengthened their collaboration through a visit by Calidad Pascual, a known Spanish dairy company and ABI Pascual Foods, Inc., a joint venture of Calidad Pascual and Asia Brewery Inc., to the NDA’s pilot dairy farm in Nueva Ecija, where stakeholders explored opportunities to apply international best practices in farm management and productivity improvement to the local dairy sector.
The visit builds on NDA’s previous learning mission to Calidad Pascual’s dairy operations in Spain, where delegates studied advanced dairy production systems and identified practices that could help strengthen the Philippine dairy sector.
“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the Philippine dairy sector by connecting local realities with global best practices. We are focused on translating proven farm management and productivity models into practical, scalable solutions for Filipino dairy farmers,” said Michael G. Tan, ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. Board Member.
Closing the Philippines’ Dairy Supply Gap
Despite efforts to strengthen the local dairy sector, the Philippines continues to face a significant supply gap, with milk self-sufficiency remaining at around 2%, according to the NDA. As a result, the majority of the country’s dairy requirements are still met through imports, highlighting the challenge of building a more resilient and locally driven milk supply.
For the NDA, increasing domestic milk production is critical not only to strengthening food security but also to improving livelihoods for Filipino dairy farmers. The agency has set a target of raising milk self-sufficiency to 5% by 2028 through sustained investments in farm productivity, herd expansion, animal nutrition, and stronger public-private partnerships.
“Achieving our milk self-sufficiency goals will require strong collaboration across the public and private sectors. We welcome ABI Pascual and Calidad Pascual as partners in this journey, not only for their investment in the Philippines, but also for the global expertise they can share to help strengthen the productivity and competitiveness of our local dairy industry,” NDA Administrator, Atty. Marcus Andaya emphasizes.
A key challenge—and opportunity—lies in improving farm productivity. Many dairy farms in the Philippines produce an average of only around 10 liters of milk per cow per day. In Nueva Ecija, one of the country’s emerging dairy hubs, some farms have reached yields of about 15 liters daily, demonstrating that higher output is achievable with improved farm conditions.
By comparison, dairy farms partnered with Calidad Pascual in Spain reportedly average around 38 liters per cow per day, highlighting the scale of opportunity for the Philippine dairy sector. Industry stakeholders see productivity improvement through better nutrition, genetics, farm management, and technical support as one of the fastest pathways toward increasing local milk output and narrowing the country’s dairy supply gap.
From left: Tomás Pascual Recuero, International Director, Calidad Pascual; Michael G. Tan, ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. Board Member; Atty. Marcus Antonius Andaya, National Dairy Authority Administrator; Tomás Pascual, ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. Board Member
From Spain to Nueva Ecija: Strengthening Local Dairy Production
In February 2026, the NDA conducted a learning mission to Spain to study advanced dairy production systems and identify practices that could help strengthen the Philippine dairy sector. The visit included dairy farms and production facilities of Calidad Pascual, exposing delegates to integrated dairy value chain operations and modern farm management approaches aimed at improving milk productivity and quality.
This mission gave NDA delegates firsthand exposure to Calidad Pascual’s advanced systems, including animal welfare, herd health and nutrition, productivity optimization, and quality-focused operations.
Building on these international insights, executives from ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. and Calidad Pascual visited the NDA pilot dairy farm in Nueva Ecija to bridge the gap between global best practices and local realities, gaining firsthand insight into the realities faced by Filipino dairy farmers and identifying opportunities to improve farm efficiency and milk yields.
“The NDA’s learning mission to Spain with Calidad Pascual provided valuable exposure to integrated dairy systems, highlighting best practices in animal welfare, herd health and nutrition, and operational efficiency. Working alongside our partners has also enabled a deeper understanding of local realities and clearer opportunities to strengthen the dairy sector together. These proven approaches show how disciplined farm management can meaningfully improve milk yield and performance,” Michael G. Tan, ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. Board Member, affirmed.
The joint assessment also identified key areas where technical support could help improve milk production and farm efficiency. Discussions centered on possible interventions in herd management, feeding practices, and day-to-day farm operations, with Nueva Ecija serving as a pilot site for potential replication in other NDA-supported dairy farms.
ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. and Calidad Pascual also expressed commitment to continued technical collaboration with NDA, including knowledge transfer initiatives and the potential deployment of dairy experts from Spain to support local farms. Long-term plans include training and capacity-building programs focused on farm management, herd productivity, and dairy production optimization to help farmers sustainably increase milk output.
“Our collaboration with the NDA is a long-term commitment to building a more productive and resilient Philippine dairy sector. Through continued knowledge sharing, the potential deployment of Spanish dairy experts, and sustained capacity-building programs, we aim to support Filipino farmers in strengthening farm management, improving herd productivity, and optimizing milk production—so that gains are not only immediate, but sustainable and scalable for the future,” ABI Pascual Foods, Inc. Board Member, Michael G. Tan concluded.