The way forward for the Philippine pet food industry entails a lot of work to upgrade the manufacturing technology side, upskill the workers and guide pet owners toward a new era of wellness-driven pet parenting.
These are among the core items raised by various experts from the Philippine academe, government and private sector involved in the local pet food industry during the recent Global Pet Nutrition Forum 2026 in Manila.
Conrado Bulanhagui, vice president and manufacturing director at Vitarich Corporation, a leading Philippine-based agribusiness company, lamented the low number of extrusion engineers in the country, which must be rectified soon to meet the demands of a rapidly growing pet population.
"We have low availability of extrusion engineers in the country," said Bulanhagui. "Schools should calibrate their curriculum to offer engineering courses specifically for pet food extrusion. The government should also lend its support for extrusion technology in the curriculum so we could have local skills to manufacture pet food for the international market that can compete based on quality and price."
In addition to workforce development, he called for the future-proofing of pet food manufacturing in the country by building facilities that can easily scale based on market demands.
Bulanhagui also suggested that when developing pet food for the local market, manufacturers should pay close attention to three areas: pet food that can decrease the incidence of obesity, kidney problems and smelly poop. He said these are the three common nutrition-related issues that affect the majority of pets in the country.
Feeding habits, nutrition gaps draw concern
At the forum, veterinarians from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of the Philippines said many Filipino pet owners need guidance on how to make enlightened pet food choices.
A study titled "Beyond the Bowl," which surveyed a small group of pet owners in a major city in Metro Manila, revealed a tendency to feed dogs large amounts of carbohydrates for energy. Overfeeding is very common.
"The surveyed participants feed rice-heavy pet meals, some don't even have meat, fiber and vitamins," said Dr. Joseph Dela Cruz, one of the UP veterinarians behind the study. "The pet's diet is usually designed for energy and not nutrition."
His counterpart, Dr. Ma. Rosario Racho-Dela Cruz, said those in the study who prepared pet meals at home could usually meet the nutritional requirements, but excesses also happen at times.
"Those who feed scraps or table food result in protein-deficient pet meals. On the other hand, home-prepped pet food are usually in excess of what's required, like 23% more sodium or 80% more calcium," she said.
She added that many Filipino pet owners are just discovering the impressive benefits of adding probiotics and prebiotics to their pets' regular diets.
Both veterinarians said Filipinos can use evidence-based nutrition guidance to change their mindsets and help them prepare balanced diets for their pets.
'Organic' label claims warrant scrutiny
An animal nutritionist cautioned pet owners not to easily fall for products labeled as "organic."
Dr. Noel Lumbo, director of the Institute of Animal Science at the University of the Philippines, said the casual use of the word organic must be policed.
"When a vendor says: Don't worry, it's organic — the more reason to panic," Lumbo said.
He said the country has a National Organic Agriculture Program that presides over applications for organic products. The program issues certifications to protect the public against fake organic claims, and violators could face financial penalties and jail time.
The 2026 Global Pet Nutrition Forum was attended by local pet food professionals, distributors and manufacturers.
