The Department of Agriculture (DA) has ramped up efforts to combat agricultural smuggling, with P3.78 billion worth of illegal goods seized since January 2024. However, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told the Senate that enforcement gaps in the current law are hindering progress.
In a statement to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Tiu Laurel reported 182 anti-smuggling operations conducted from January 2024 to July 2025, including 111 operations this year alone that resulted in P953 million in seizures. The DA has blacklisted 20 importers—13 of whom lacked import licenses.
While welcoming the passage of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act (RA 12022), Tiu Laurel said the law increased penalties but also raised the threshold for qualifying offenses, making prosecution more difficult. He stressed that the DA still lacks enforcement powers and called for urgent amendments, stronger inter-agency coordination, and the full implementation of the law’s provisions, including a permanent secretariat led by the DA.
“This fight is far from over,” he said. “Let’s show our farmers and fisherfolk they are not alone.”
