DA, BOC on alert for onion smuggling

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is coordinating with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to determine possible cases of smuggling of white or yellow onions, which are being sold in wet markets despite the supposed absence of local supply since July as well as any government authorization to import the commodity.

In an interview with reporters, DA spokesperson and Assistant Secretary for consumer affairs Kristine Evangelista said the department, through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), is conducting the probe.

“There are no importation permits, so how did they get to the retailer? That is one thing. The BPI is also working closely with BOC,” she said. “The BOC is in charge of commodities entering the country.”

The DA said the BPI would continue to inspect markets for smuggled white or yellow onions.

“When the product is smuggled, it does not go through food safety protocols. Consumers cannot be sure that it is safe. So, the regulatory body also comes into it,” Evangelista said.

“It’s not only the retailer who is liable. What’s important is to find out who their supplier is and how much volume does that supplier have. There we will see who dictates the release of the commodity and how much,” she said.

Last week, the DA-BPI Allium Monitoring Team and the DA-Wide Field Inspectorate team confiscated 47 bags of yellow onions traded and sold at the Malabon Central Market and in Divisoria. The seized yellow onions were priced at P500 per kilogram.

The DA monitoring team stepped up its surveillance after confirming there had been no stocks of both local and imported yellow onions in cold storage in the past two months.

It was reported that a storeowner in Malabon voluntarily surrendered his onion stock to members of a DA monitoring team and led them to his source in Divisoria.

“Our regulatory partners which are local government units (LGUs) and regulatory agencies… do not immediately give penalties. We issue a letter of inquiry about where the onions come from,” Evangelista said.