As part of the government’s campaign to stop the rampant agricultural smuggling that has affected the Philippine agricultural and fishery sectors for many years, the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Inspectorate and Enforcement (IE) has acted on two containers under consignee Abucayan Business and Trade, which were placed on alert order.

The action, which led to the confiscation of the said shipment, is related to the ongoing directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.to curb illegal trade activity to enable Filipino farmers and fishers to increase income and make locally grown agricultural produce more competitive.

In partnership with the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), DA IE conducted an operation on March 2, 2023, in Port of Subic (POS).

The team found misdeclared agricultural products that were purported to consist of squid rings but instead contained dressed chicken, duck head, and duck neck, worth approximately P40 million. The vans were also reportedly lacking the necessary documents including the Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC).

Following this development, the DA will immediately initiate prosecution against the consignee for the misdeclaration and misclassification of the shipment, in accordance to Republic Act No. 10611, the Food Safety Act of 2013, and Republic Act No. 10845, the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.###