The Department of Agriculture (DA) has a new quarantine unit operating out of the Subic Freeport Zone designed to help boost the country’s agricultural biosecurity and address risks posed by plant pests and diseases.
The new office is operated by the National Plant Quarantine Services Division of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) in Subic.
“The establishment of this new office holds significant importance due to its position as a prominent center for trade and logistics,” said DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
He said plant quarantine services are crucial in maintaining food security and supporting farmers as the introduction of pests and diseases can have severe economic repercussions.
Tiu Laurel said the government also plans to expand its capabilities to tackle future issues, including securing additional land for future needs.
Gerard Glenn Panganiban, BPI director, said having a physical office at the Subic Freeport facilitates the quarantine process and hastens trading activity while ensuring biosecurity of incoming commodities through the freeport.
Panganiban said the P2 million project started in 2018 but temporarily halted due to the pandemic. Construction only resumed in 2022.
In July, the DA proposed pre-shipment inspection in ports of origin prior to the expected opening of the country’s first cold examination facility for agriculture (CEFA) next year.
Tiu Laurel said the proposal requires approval from the Department of Finance and is meant to improve border control amid health and economic challenges posed by imported agricultural products.
The DA said the first of five CEFAs serving as sanitary and phytosanitary inspection units for imported animal, fish, plant and agricultural products will start operations early next year in Angat, Bulacan.
The Bulacan CEFA is financed by private companies with equipment procurement underway to meet the operational timeline of January or February 2025.
Plans are also underway to open four additional CEFAs by September 2025 in Manila, Subic, Davao and General Santos City.
The CEFAs in Angat and General Santos City will operate on DA-funded laboratories.
More sophisticated facilities are planned in major ports and fish ports, including at the Manila International Container Terminal, Subic Bay International Corp., Davao International Container Terminal, Manila South Harbor, New Cebu International Container Port, Batangas International Port, Navotas Fish Port, Iloilo International Container Port and Misamis Oriental.
Funds for the CEFA was originally estimated at P2.3 billion but reduced to P1.2 billion due to the offer of International Container Terminal Services Inc. to host most of the facilities at ports where it operates.
