Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 24) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed that the government is chasing smugglers and hoarders of agricultural goods, warning them that their days are numbered.
In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos said smugglers, hoarders, and price fixers affect the rising prices of agricultural goods.
“Hinahabol at ihahabla natin sila. Sadyang hindi tama ang kanilang gawain at hindi rin ito tugma sa ating magandang layunin,” the president said, saying what they do is cheating.
[Translation: We are chasing after them and will charge them. What they are doing is not right and is not in line with our good purpose.]
He said both farmers and consumers are “harmed” by these acts, and vowed the government won’t let them continue these practices.
“Bilang na ang mga araw ng mga smuggler at hoarder na ‘yan,” he warned. It was met with applause in the joint session of Congress.
[Translation: Those smugglers and hoarded already have numbered days.]
He also directed Congress to amend the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act.
Agri group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) welcomed the president’s pronouncement and the inclusion of the law’s amendment as priority legislation.
“Nais nating makita na sa taong ito ay may makasuhan, malitis, at makulong,” SINAG executive director Jayson Cainglet said.
“Hindi ang local producers ang siyang nagpapataas ng presyo, gaya ng ilang taon ng ipinapahayag ng ating mga economic managers,” he added.
[Translation: We want to see people charged, litigated, and locked up. It’s not the local producers who are making prices go up, like what economic managers previously said for years.]
Marcos’s first year as president and concurrent agriculture chief was faced with issues such as high prices of basic commodities, especially onions.
Last July 4, the chief executive ordered an investigation into the smuggling of onions and other agricultural products, saying the act was equivalent to economic sabotage.
READ: Marcos orders probe into hoarding, smuggling of agricultural products
He noted the findings of the hearings conducted by the House of Representatives on the matter.
In May, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the vice chairperson of the House Appropriations Committee, alleged that trader Lilia “Lea” Cruz engineered the artificial spike in onion prices late last year until the early part of 2023 through firms involved in all levels of the value chain.
Cruz established the Philippine Vegetable Importers, Exporters and Vendors Association. She has denied involvement in the soaring prices of onion, which went up to ₱700 per kilogram in 2022.
RELATED: Romualdez wants ‘airtight’ case vs. onion smugglers
For its part, the Department of Justice said it would form an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force which would be “primarily focused on protecting the entire agricultural sector, not only the onion industry.”
Accomplishments
In his speech, Marcos mentioned the accomplishments of the Department of Agriculture (DA) during his first year of presidency, such as the distribution of machinery, seeds, and voucher discounts for fuel and fertilizer.
The DA chief also said the government provided irrigation, conducted geomapping, created farm-to-market roads, and built fabrication labs, and production and cold storage facilities. He also said the DA is teaching farmers about biofertilizers.
He also noted the 2.1% growth of the agriculture sector in the first quarter of 2023 and the recently signed New Agrarian Emancipation Act which condoned ₱57-billion worth of debts of agrarian reform beneficiaries.
For Cainglet, he said more institutional support from the DA would further encourage the local rice industry.
“On his second SONA, the marching order of the president for the agriculture sector is clear. Its translation therefore must be done sooner, more rigid and with the sense of urgency by the regulatory agencies involved in the agriculture sector,” he added.
Moving forward, the chief executive said he wanted to expand the Kadiwa store program. He also asked Congress to amend the Fisheries Code and the Cooperative Code.
