Agricultural Smuggling and Philippine National Security

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Ethel t. Cablay-cuyco

Abstract

This qualitative descriptive study was aimed to identify, analyze, and describe Philippine vulnerabilities in national security owing to the influx of imported agriculture and fishery products.


Documents analyses, key informants’ interviews, and direct observations were used to arrive at the eight weaknesses/loopholes leading to the country’s food safety vulnerabilities: in business name registration and permitting; through Customs Bureau’s accreditation; in enlisting as importer at the  Department of Agriculture Food Safety Regulatory Agencies (DA-FSRAs); in securing the sanitary phytosanitary inspection clearance (SPSICs); in risk classification and inspection; in transporting of goods to warehouses, and in the withdrawal and distribution of the imported agriculture and fishery products from warehouses.


Loopholes were caused by laxity in business registration; overconcentrated authority and discretion by Customs; rigged DA FSRAs Registry Books; DA FSRAs’ irresponsible issuance of SPSICs; Customs’ secretive risk classification; inadequate/lack of inspection capabilities at ports; un-escorted trucking of containers; and, unmonitored withdrawal and distribution of goods from warehouses.


Hence, within the scope of this study (June 2019 to December 2020), technical agricultural smugglings were found out because of the weaknesses and loopholes in the Customs Bureau’s and the Agriculture Department Food Safety Regulatory Agencies’ procedures posing food safety and national risks to the country.

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