Today’s onion smugglers use old modus operandi

Readers of “Rizal’s True Love” will gain deeper insights than just how many hearts the national hero broke in a span of 35 years. But if they still want to know Rizal’s criteria for the ideal woman, it’s also there in the new book by Gemma Cruz Araneta.

Gemma focuses on aspects of Rizal that history classes gloss over: what made his heart beat fast. Those are, among others, the purpose of Liga Filipina, his model community in Dapitan, the roots of our agrarian unrest, comrades in the nationalist movement, and his blueprint for nationhood. Of note is the way Rizal is presented not as a “stand alone” patriot who worked by himself, but as an ardent organizer-networker, always attuned to the needs of the Fatherland.

A descendant of Rizal, Gemma grew up hearing about her patriotic forebears — and so appreciates their pains and triumphs. Her collection of essays reveals the hidden connections among people and events. Again of note is why Rizal’s enigmatic brother Paciano was what he was.

“Rizal’s True Love” is available at Popular Bookstore (Morato-Timog Avenues, Quezon City), Solidaridad (Padre Faura Street, Manila), and Fully Booked (Bonifacio High Street, Global City-Taguig). For inquiries: call (02) 81901945.

Written from a woman’s point of view, Gemma’s book properly was launched in March, Women’s Month, says National Historical Commission chairman Dr. Ferdie Llanes.

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Is onion smuggling unstoppable? I exposed the scam more than a decade ago. It prodded a congressional inquiry, and internal corrections by the agriculture department and the Customs bureau. Now I hear that today’s smugglers are employing the old modus operandi:

The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) issues special import permits for yellow onion. No limits are set on the quantity and date of delivery. The BPI simply justifies the imports as necessary to forestall a domestic shortage. But it has no accurate count of the annual shortfall. It just knows that local yellow-onion growers produce less than the country’s consumption, unlike the red variety that is exported.

Imports flood in December-January, from China, Europe, or North America that harvested before the winter. Quantities are under-declared and undervalued — technical smuggling — to skirt the right duties and taxes. Refrigerated warehouses are filled to the brim. Farmers in Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Ilocos start harvesting in February-March. Due to the seeming oversupply of imports, they are forced to drop farm gate prices.

The growers sell at loss to bulk buyers — financed by the same onion importers. Meanwhile, the importers unload their stocks at 65-percent markup. Warehouse space is made for the cheap local harvest. When the imported stocks run out, they sell the local stocks at the same high price. Importers enrich themselves at the expense of farmers and consumers.

It doesn’t end there. The importers turn to outright smuggling — recycling the used import permits to bring in more yellow onion. This time the pre-winter harvests from Australia-New Zealand are sneaked in, in collusion with crooked BPI and Customs personnel. The stocks are sold at the same high price as before.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag), an umbrella of farmers’ and food makers’ associations, says that’s still the way it’s done. Rosendo So, Sinag president and Abono party-list founder, notes that over-imports of yellow onion arrived from The Netherlands last New Year’s. Acquired at P18 per kilo, it is being sold at P28. Meanwhile, starting February, the bulk buyers hauled off the local produce at only P10 a kilo farm-gate, from the usual P20. These too are now being sold at the cartel price of P28 a kilo. Expect the next imports to arrive in June-July.

The smugglers make a killing, whether from imported or domestic onions. One of them, So whispers, is the same “Ma’am Leah” recently exposed as a big-time smuggler of agricultural products.

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Bart Guingona is Philippine theater’s master of the one-man show (“Via Dolorosa,” “The Atheist”). So it’s only right that he directs the mistress, Cherie Gil, in the one-woman play, “Full Gallop.”

It’s a true story, one year (1971) in the life of fashion writer-editor Diana Vreeland, of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. She announces to friends that she is out of a job, and wishes to put up her own magazine, if they’d finance her. That’s after she was fired by Vogue and she spends four months touring Europe in style. Her friends suggest taking on an offer from the Metropolitan Museum. Vreeland proceeds to do with her life as she’s always done — in full gallop.

Premiering tonight, “Full Gallop” runs only this weekend and next, 8 p.m. regular and 4 p.m. matinees, with a special participation of Giselle Tongi. Tickets available at the box office, Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala corner Puyat Avenues, Makati City. Also at Ticket World: (02) 8919999.

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Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).

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