By Stephanie Sevillano | Philippine News Agency
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) reported on Tuesday the seizure of 25 metric tons (MT) or 25,000 kilograms of illegally imported yellow onions from China worth P3.5 million.
In a phone interview, BPI Director Glenn Panganiban said the shipment arrived at the Port of Manila in a 40-foot container van aboard the vessel Green Pacific on July 16, 2024.
After BPI verified its arrival through the Inward Foreign Manifest (IFM), it alerted the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to hold the shipment.
Panganiban said it was found out that the shipment has no sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC), which led BOC to issue a warrant of seizure and detention for inspection.
The BPI, together with the BOC, presented the seized yellow onions on Oct. 3.
Panganiban said the declaration for yellow onion in July when the issuance for SPSIC was still suspended tipped them on the smuggling activity.
He said the Department of Agriculture only allowed the issuance of SPSICs for yellow onions in August.
“So, nakita po namin na merong dineclare na yellow onions pero wala naman tayong yellow onions at that time, July, so positive agad,” he said.
“Lahat naman po ng mga shipments and dumadating ay meron po ’yong manifesto sa barko. Tayo po kasi, nagiging vigilant po tayo; talagang sinusuyod po natin iyong mga manifesto na iyan,” he said.
Panganiban, meanwhile, reiterated that the consumption of illegally imported agricultural products poses health risks.
“Hindi siya safe. It’s either hindi pasado sa pesticide residue level, mataas masyado, or iyong kaniyang microorganisms content ay hindi gano’n kaganda,” he said.
He likewise vowed to continue the stringent measure against illegal importation with the enactment of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
Stable onion supply, prices
Meanwhile, Panganiban assured stable supply and prices of both red and white onions for the rest of the year.
“Of course, since holiday season nga, ang tendency is dumadagdag ’yong presyo. Pero at least ngayon, alam ng tao, at kami, tinututukan din namin na talagang may supply. So, hindi sila pa puwedeng magtaas o mag-spike agad ng presyo,” he said.
Panganiban said around 7,000 to 8,000 MT of imported yellow onions arrived this month.
The DA earlier approved the limited importation of 16,000 MT of white onions prior to the expected local harvest in January next year.
For red onions, the DA said the country’s stocks are enough until March 2025.