Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has called on the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to suspend the release of 59 container vans that were recently unloaded at the Subic Bay Freeport, amid strong suspicion that the shipments contain smuggled agricultural products—chief among them, onions and fish.
The request aligns with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to intensify the crackdown on agricultural smuggling that not only distorts prices and undermines local farmers but also poses public health risks.
“Under the new Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law, we can pursue not just consignees, but customs brokers, transporters, sellers, and buyers. Smuggling is no longer a victimless crime—we are going after the entire supply chain,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel.
The DA chief stressed the importance of a whole-of-government approach, citing how unscrupulous importers often mis-declared agricultural goods—like frozen mackerel or fresh onions—as processed food to sidestep regulation. Such tactics shift oversight from the DA’s regulatory agencies–Bureau of Plant Industry, Bureau of Animal Industry, and BFAR–to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the Department of Health (DOH).
The power to seize misdeclared shipments rests with the BOC, which operates under the Department of Finance. In a separate operation on Tuesday at the Port of Manila, a joint team from the DA, DOH, FDA, and BOC uncovered six container vans misdeclared as processed foods.
The vans actually contained over 100 tons of fresh onions and frozen mackerel, valued at a combined P34 million, consigned to Latinx Consumer Goods Trading and Lexxa Consumer Goods Trading—both likely to be blacklisted by the DA’s BPI. Tiu Laurel said the containers that are now in Subic are consigned to five trading firms, all under review for possible blacklisting.
Last year alone, the DA blacklisted 18 companies—more than the combined total of the previous decade. Tiu Laurel added that since most smuggled farm products come from China, the DA will soon implement a country-specific risk assessment to help stem the tide of illegal imports.
“With unified efforts from the DA, DOH, and DOF, we can protect our farmers and ensure fair trade,” he said. Tiu Laurel condemned the continued entry of smuggled goods into the country, calling it “an affront to both the government and the law.” “It’s infuriating that dozens of container vans loaded with undeclared agricultural products are still making it onto Philippine soil,” he said.
“This is unacceptable—and there will be no letup in our campaign against smugglers. We will pursue them relentlessly.”
