MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has reported the confiscation of more than PHP3.09 billion worth of smuggled rice and agri-fishery products amid an intensified campaign against agricultural smuggling, hoarding, and profiteering — now considered forms of economic sabotage under the Marcos administration.
Under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the seized items were confiscated from November 2023 to February 20, according to the DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement (IE) operations.
“Simula noong umupo ang ating pangulo, more than PHP3 billion worth na ng agricultural goods or smuggled goods iyong nakumpiska natin sa napakaraming operasyon (Since our president has assumed his office, we have confiscated more than PHP3 billion worth of agricultural goods or smuggled goods in many operations),” DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said in a pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) interview.
This amount excludes recently confiscated agri-smuggled items, including PHP100 million worth of frozen fish, onions, and carrots in 10 inspected containers at the Port of Subic on July 8, with a total estimated value of about PHP300 million for all 31 containers, as 21 shipments are yet to be inspected.
Other notable confiscations included PHP34 million in smuggled onions and frozen mackerel at Manila Port on July 1, and PHP202 million worth of frozen fish seized in March.
De Mesa emphasized the importance of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act in enabling effective action against smugglers.
“Importante iyong mga mekanismo, mga supporting na mga batas na nakakapagbigay ng epektibong solusyon (The mechanisms are important, the supporting laws that grants effective solutions),” he said.
Tiu Laurel earlier vowed to prosecute around 100 individuals tied to 20 blacklisted firms, aiming to secure at least one conviction before year’s end.
In 2025 alone, 79 containers have been flagged with the help of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation. In 2024, DA-IE operations led to 71 seizures valued at PHP2.83 billion, including PHP1.9 billion in imported rice and PHP316.4 million in fisheries products.
In 2024, the DA-IE logged 71 successful operations resulting in the seizure of PHP2.83 billion worth of smuggled agricultural goods.
This includes the PHP1.9 billion worth of imported rice, considered to be the largest single seizure during the first-border inspection, followed by seized fisheries products at PHP316.4 million. (PNA)