Raps filed vs trader for smuggling P30-M garlic

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) yesterday filed smuggling charges against a businesswoman and a Customs broker for allegedly smuggling P30 million worth of garlic from Hong Kong.

The charges were filed against Good Earth Merchandise owner Aiza Salise, a resident of Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, and Antonio Castro Enriquez of Guiguinto, Bulacan before the Department of Justice.

BOC Commissioner John Philip Sevilla said a total of 101,460 kilograms of garlic arrived in four shipping containers on June 1 and June 12 at the Port of Batangas.

The shipment was misdeclared as raw materials for chocolate and did not have any phytosanitary clearance as mandated by the Department of Agriculture (DA) for imported agricultural products.

The seized goods are undergoing forfeiture proceedings, and its samples are being tested for phytosanitary clearance.

The BOC is looking at three possible options – public bidding, donation and negotiated sale – to dispose the garlic once it passes the test.

However, Sevilla said the shipment is not enough to bring down garlic prices in the country.

“That 100,000 kilos is just adobo for one day. If everyone in the Philippines would cook adobo in one day, the garlic would only last until lunch time,” he said.

Garlic production

Meanwhile, the multi-sectoral agricultural alliance Samahan ng Industriya at Agrikultura (SINAG), with the help of the DA, are eyeing about 100 hectares in Pangasinan that can be used for planting garlic.

Rosendo So, SINAG chairman, said they are initially eyeing the towns of Umingan and Malasiqui, San Carlos City and Urdaneta City.

He said SINAG would extend a loan of P100,000 per farmer.

“We have to expand the planting of garlic to other areas, especially the upland with source of water. Corn area can also be tapped,” he added.

He said each farmer could earn a profit of P300,000 per hectare in three and a half months.

So said red onion growers can also get involved in garlic production, as there is now surplus of production in onion with 160 million kilos while consumption is only 145 million kilos.

He said they are eyeing the production of 10 million kilos of garlic this year. Total production of garlic is only eight million kilos annually.

So said the price of garlic is expected to stabilize with the arrival of imports from China on Wednesday.

In Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, at least seven individuals, two of them minors, were arrested for allegedly stealing at least 48 bags of rice from a warehouse.

Superintendent Junny Buenacosa, city police chief, said the owner of the warehouse, Danny Ang, vowed to file charges against Alfred Paraiso, Alex de la Cruz, Rhoderick Gargar, Luigi Ganny and Darwin Camansa, who were caught with the help of neighbors who saw them pull off the robbery.

He said the two minors would be turned over to the city social welfare office. – With Eva Visperas, John Unson