By Stephanie Sevillano
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday reported the total seizure of PHP2.83 billion worth of agricultural goods smuggled into the Philippines.
This came after the 71 successful operations of DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement (IE) in 2024, which makes the overall seizure almost a billion worth higher than PHP1.87 billion in 2023.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said enforcing the Anti-Economic Sabotage Act is a mechanism to intensify the government’s agricultural smuggling crackdown.
“Last year’s operations exposed regulatory loopholes we need to address and procedures that must be streamlined to stamp out smuggling of agricultural products,” he said in a statement.
Tiu Laurel said the law serves as an additional tool for the DA to curb agricultural smuggling.
The nearly PHP3 billion worth of confiscated items in 2024 include the PHP1.9 billion worth of imported rice, considered to be the largest single seizure during the first-border inspection of the DA-IE; followed by seized fisheries products at PHP316.4 million.
Besides this, a series of DA-IE inspections led to the imposition of PHP285.3 million in tax and tariffs on the undervalued rice importation, reaching 32,825 metric tons.
At least PHP178.5 million worth of frozen mackerel, deemed fit for human consumption, was also confiscated in Port of Manila and donated to affected residents following the onslaught of Typhoon Kristine.
Other operations, likewise, prevented the entry of a significant volume of some agri commodities including smuggled white onions and illicit cigarettes in Subic Port, worth PHP115 million and PHP8.4 million, respectively; PHP102.2 million worth of Chinese frozen food and black chicken in Santa Maria, Bulacan; PHP100 million worth of prohibited meat and other products illegally stored in unlicensed storage facilities in Kawit, Cavite; PHP100 million worth of smuggled and rotten onions, garlic, pigeon meat, and frozen bullfrogs in Marilao, Bulacan; PHP74.9 million worth of condemned meat intended for recycling as fish meal; and PHP35.9 million worth of white onions, PHP13.5 million worth of carrots, and PHP44,000 worth of tomatoes and mushrooms in two cold storage facilities in Navotas.
To date, the DA-IE has seized PHP162.7 million worth of illegal agri-fishery products at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila International Container Port, and Subic Bay International Terminal in 2025.
At least PHP6.45 million worth of expired and unlabeled agri products were also confiscated in cold storage facilities in Caloocan, Navotas, and Bulacan from January to February and around PHP152,000 worth of frozen fish was seized in Batangas City. (PNA)
