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A piggery answers to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), DENR's Environmental Management Bureau, your local zoning office and, inside the Laguna de Bay Region, the LLDA. The thing many owners miss is the siting rule. A commercial swine farm must sit at least 3 km from national highways and at least 1 km from other swine and poultry farms, so check the lot before you build.[1,2,4,6]
Check the lot before you pour concrete
Under BAI Administrative Order No. 4 of 2004, distances are measured from the farm's waste management facility, not from the pig pens. Commercial swine farms need 3 km from national highways, and swine and poultry farms need 1 km from each other.[4]
Walk the area and list every farm you can see nearby. A neighbor's poultry house can block your plan even if your lot is zoned for agriculture.
The paper order that saves trips
Get your zoning clearance and DENR ECC or CNC first. BAI asks for the DENR paper before it registers the farm, and its GAHP form asks for city permits, including zoning clearance, and a discharge permit from DENR or LLDA.[2,3]
Farms inside the Laguna de Bay Region also need LLDA clearance. The LLDA resolution exempts small farms, so ask where your size falls.[6]
Selling pigs during ASF
In disease outbreaks, pigs for slaughter must travel with a veterinary health certificate, a BAI shipping permit valid for 7 days, a handler's licence and an accredited transport carrier.[5]
That rule is from a 2019 DA circular. Ask your provincial veterinarian for the current zoning status of your area before every big sale.
If you butcher your own pigs
If you slaughter, dress or cut meat for sale, you need a licence to operate from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS). The initial licence is valid for only 6 months, so plan for renewals.[7]
Questions people ask
- Is a backyard piggery exempt from BAI registration?
- The rules cited on this page give no backyard-size exemption from BAI registration. Ask your DA regional field office before you assume you are exempt.
- What does BAI registration cost for a piggery?
- ₱1,000 for the first one-year registration and ₱3,000 for a three-year renewal.
- Does GAHP certification cost anything?
- BAI's 2024 charter lists no fee for GAHP certification and a total of 7 days. It is voluntary.
- Is RSBSA required for hog raisers?
- No, it is voluntary and free. It lets you apply for DA programs and services.
Piggery prep list
- Mark your waste lagoon or biogas area on the site plan, since distances start there
- Measure the distance to the nearest national highway
- List all swine and poultry farms within 1 km
- Plan your wastewater treatment before you apply for the discharge permit
- Fill in BAI form RF AHWD-04 for animal facility registration
- Save your provincial veterinarian's office number for movement rules
- Enroll in RSBSA to qualify for DA programs
Sources
Checked 13 November 2026. We link the agency's own page for every requirement. Rules change; confirm with the office before you pay.
- 2024 BAI Citizen's Charter · Bureau of Animal Industry · 2024
- ANIMAL FACILITY REGISTRATION (ANIMAL WELFARE REGISTRATION) · Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 3
- RF AHWD-34 GAHP Application Form · Bureau of Animal Industry
- (NAR) VOL. 15 NOS. 1-2 / APRIL - JUNE 2004 (BAI Administrative Order No. 04, s. 2004) · Supreme Court E-Library (text of BAI/DA order) · 23 February 2004
- DA Memorandum Circular No. 11: Supplemental Procedures in the Slaughter of Swine and Movement of its Meat and By-Products during Animal Disease Outbreaks/Emergencies · Department of Agriculture / Bureau of Animal Industry · 26 September 2019
- LLDA Board Resolution No. 408, s. 2011: Revised Definition of Developmental Activities Required to Secure LLDA Clearance · Supreme Court E-Library (text of LLDA resolution) · 24 March 2011
- ACCREDITATION AND REGISTRATION (FAQ) · National Meat Inspection Service
- RSBSA FAQs · Department of Agriculture Cordillera (DA-RFO-CAR) · February 2024
The extra permits, in one table
| Permit or registration | Agency | When it applies | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Welfare registration / Licence to Operate as Animal…[1] | Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) | always for hog, poultry, cattle and goat farms | PHP 1,000 initial (1 year); PHP 3,000 renewal (3 years); 50% surcharge on expired certificates |
| Environmental Compliance Certificate[2] | DENR Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) | always: BAI lists it as a requirement for animal facility | Not published |
| Zoning / locational clearance for the farm[3] | City/municipal LGU (zoning office) | listed by BAI among supporting documents for livestock and poultry… | Not published |
| Farm siting distance rules[4] | Department of Agriculture / BAI | commercial swine farms and cattle feedlots; distances measured from the… | none (siting rule) |
| BAI Shipping Permit + Veterinary Health Certificate for moving swine during disease outbreaks (ASF)[5] | Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) | when moving swine for slaughter from surveillance zones during outbreaks | None (BAI charter: shipping permit fee 'None') |
| LLDA Clearance[6] | Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) | farms inside the Laguna de Bay Region | Not published |
| Wastewater discharge permit[3] | DENR-EMB or LLDA | listed by BAI among supporting documents for livestock/poultry farm GAHP certification | Not published |
| Good Animal Husbandry Practices[1] | Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) | voluntary certification; form covers poultry, swine, beef and dairy cattle,… | None (BAI charter fee entries 'None') |
| NMIS Licence to Operate / accreditation of meat establishment[7] | National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) | only if you slaughter, dress or cut meat for sale (slaughterhouse, poultry dressing plant, meat cutting plant) | PHP 1,200 initial/new LTO (PHP 700 LTO + PHP 500 processing), valid 6 months |
| RSBSA registration[8] | Department of Agriculture (DA) | voluntary; needed to receive DA programs | free |