2 importers face large-scale agricultural smuggling raps

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has filed 20 counts of large-scale agricultural smuggling against two importers.

In a statement yesterday, the DA said cases were filed against Victory JM Enterprise and Asterzenmed Inc. for violation of the Food Safety Act of 2013 (Republic Act 10611) and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 (RA 10845).

DA Assistant Secretary James Layug said additional charges are yet to be filed against the identified importers for endangering the public’s health and the livelihood of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk.

The cases were based on consecutive inspections that resulted in about P397.97 million worth of seized agricultural goods that were either misdeclared, misclassified and/or had no sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances.

The DA said it received derogatory information regarding a total of 57 shipping containers – 37 of which were consigned to Asterzenmed Inc. and 20 to Victory JM Enterprise – allegedly containing smuggled agricultural products.

Last Dec. 15, 12 shipping containers from Asterzenmed Inc. and Victory JM Enterprise consisting of fresh red and white onions, frozen mackerel, frozen buffalo meat and frozen round scad were inspected.

Three of the containers were from Hong Kong and nine were from China, with agri-fishery products having an estimated market value of P73.9 million.

On Dec. 19, seven alerted containers consigned to Asterzenmed Inc. and Victory JM Enterprise were found to contain white onions, frozen mackerel, frozen pork meat, boneless buffalo meat and frozen boneless beef with an estimated market value of P51.4 million.

Three shipping containers were imported from China, while the rest were shipped from Hong Kong.

During a follow-up operation on Dec. 20, the agencies seized 12 shipping containers from Asterzenmed Inc. and Victory JM Enterprise consisting of white/yellow onions, fresh carrots, boneless beef front feet and frozen round scad with an estimated market value of P71.5 million.

One of the containers was from Poland, two were from Hong Kong and nine from China.

The following day, 15 containers consigned to Victory JM Enterprise and Asterzenmed Inc. were seized.

More than P101.1 million worth of white/yellow and red onions, frozen round scad, frozen mackerel, frozen pork meat and frozen boneless beef were seized, with two containers from Hong Kong while 13 were from China.

On Jan. 6, seven containers from China consigned to Asterzenmed Inc. were found to contain red onion, frozen squid, suckling pig and other frozen products worth P56 million.

On Jan. 9, the agencies discovered five shipping containers from China, consigned to Asterzenmed Inc. containing squid skewers, wrapped pork, roasted lamb leg and other assorted frozen products with an estimated value of P43.7 million.

Agri groups vs RCEP

In a related development, several agricultural groups are urging senators not to ratify the regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP), as the Senate deliberates on the trade agreement.

Instead, they are pushing to develop the country’s much neglected agriculture sector first and implement better safeguards to protect the local sector.

At a press briefing yesterday, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chairman emeritus Rafael Mariano called for the strengthening of the local agriculture sector to be able to compete before ratifying RCEP.

Agricultural groups warned of another import surge once RCEP is ratified, hurting – if not killing – the country’s capacity to produce food.

If ever the Senate approves RCEP, Federation of Free Farmers chairman and former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor said Congress should define safeguards for the local sector to give “reasonable chances for farmers to compete and survive.”

“The safeguards are not clear. If there are no clear safeguards, there should be added protection for local producers. It’s not a tariff issue. It’s more of a non-tariff issue,” he said.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said from 25 percent prior to the free trade regime, the agriculture sector’s share of the gross domestic product is now eight to 10 percent in the last three years.

Meanwhile, it cited that labor force in the agriculture sector was as high as 50 percent prior to the accession to the World Trade Organization. Now, it is down to 22 to 24 percent.

“No country has ever developed without first developing its agriculture sector to produce staples and the necessary raw materials, beyond what the country needs,” SINAG executive director Jayson Cainglet said.

“Trade and the quest for international market access are only positive when a country can sufficiently produce its own food and export its surplus production,” he said.

Instead, SINAG is urging government to work for a permanent shift in the agriculture strategy for a sustainable and much localized food production to meet staple food demands, thus ensuring that more food is grown where it is needed.

The government should also make food self-sufficiency and significant rural livelihood opportunities as the explicit starting point of the country’s food and agriculture program.

The RCEP is currently with the Senate committee on foreign relations chaired by Sen. Imee Marcos.

Marcos has formed a technical working group to generate the committee report on RCEP ratification.

“But this time, we are confident that the Senate, under the leadership of Sen. Imee Marcos, as chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, will uphold the legacy of the upper chamber as an independent and pro-local agriculture institution,” Cainglet said.

The RCEP is a multilateral trade agreement between and among ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Last November, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the Marcos administration is committed to ratify the trade agreement as he emphasized its importance to investors, both local and foreign.

TWG for onion institute

Meanwhile, a technical working group (TWG) was created yesterday by the House committee on agriculture and food to further study proposed legislation creating the Philippine Onion Research Institute.

According to committee chair Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, the TWG would have to consolidate House Bill 1379 of Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing (1st District) and HB 3110 of  Nueva Ecija Rep. Rosanna Vergara (3rd District) which are both seeking the establishment of the institute.

In her proposal, Suansing said that establishing an onion industry “can substantially benefit a country’s economy,” citing a study of the farming industries across the globe.

“The Philippines, with all its farming background and setting can easily turn into a respectable onion producing country,” she added. –  Sheila Crisostomo