author(s)
Virgilio D Viernes, Maria Monina G Villalon, Marvin Bryan S Salinas, Lerma C Ocampo and Marlon B Ocampo

abstract
The study described and compared the histological characteristics of the reproductive organs of female Philippine native pigs (PNPs). About 5 cm of each segment of the female reproductive tract (ovary, oviduct, uterine horn, cervix, vagina and vulva) were collected, fixed in 10% formalin and sent to the Department of Pathology, Providence Hospital, Quezon City for slide processing. Photomicroscope was used in the examination of the cross and longitudinal sections of the prepared slides under scanner, LPO (40x) and HPO (100x). Results showed that the number and size of the functional structures of the organs examined increased with aging of the animal. The oviduct epithelium was thickest in infundibulum and diminished towards the uterus where the isthmus has the thinnest epithelium. No notable differences on the epithelial linings of the vulva and vagina of the female PNPs were observed. These findings provide additional information about the structure and organization of the reproductive organs and systems of PNPs which could be useful for the development of technologies for the improvement of its reproduction. Also, this is the first study to provide detailed histological descriptions of the PNPs reproductive organs.