Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 17) — Travelers are not allowed to bring in vegetables to the Philippines without securing appropriate clearance permits from authorities, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) said.
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“Travelers may not bring in vegetables (regardless of quantity) into the Philippines without the required Plant Quarantine Clearance (for personal use) or Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (for commercial use) from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI),” the BoC said in a social media post on Monday.
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According to the BPI, the following require clearance before they are allowed entry to the country:
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1. Living plants;
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2. Nursery stocks, including vegetative parts thereof used as propagating materials;
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3. Seeds and nuts for planting;
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4. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and other plant products, which have been declared as prohibited/restricted imports under Special Quarantine Orders by virtue of their being known hosts of certain plant pests, or because they originate from restricted areas;
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5. Pure cultures of fungi, bacteria, virus, nematodes and other phytopathogenic materials;
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6. Mushroom cultures including spawn;
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7. Algae cultures, rhizobial cultures as legume inoculants;
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8. Soil and plant materials for isolation of organism;
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9. Other plants cultures;
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10. Certain species of animals such as insects, birds, monkeys, reptiles capable of causing injury to agricultural crops or are liable to become agricultural crop pests;
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11. Biocontrol agents and genetically modified organisms/materials;
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The BoC said any person or company intending to bring in plants or plant products from another country should file an application for the necessary permits with the BPI’s National Plant Quarantine Services Division prior to importation.
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“This is to safeguard and prevent the spread of plant pests in the Philippines,” the BoC noted.
To apply for a Plant Quarantine Clearance or Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance, follow this process:
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