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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Marcos urges BOC, DA to examine closely seized food prior to destruction

Marcos urges BOC, DA to examine closely seized food prior to destruction

Published Nov 6, 2021 06:17 pm

Partido Federal ng Pilipinas presidential bet Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday, Nov. 6 urged the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Agriculture to subject smuggled food to close examination before destroying them.

Smuggled food

Marcos aired the appeal as he contemplated on the possibility that the seized fruits and vegetables that are safe for human consumption be donated to Filipinos being confronted by economic difficulties.

The former senator made the statement after learning that the BOC and the DA destroyed more than P300 million worth of vegetables and other agriculture products in Pampanga.

He said food security is among the top concerns during this time of crisis. Due to the implementation of lockdowns last year, millions of Filipinos lost their jobs and despite lowering the alert levels, many still experience hunger.

"Kung idadaan sa tamang inspeksiyon at pasado ang kalidad ng mga nasabat na gulay at prutas, pag-aralan sana natin ang posibilidad na maibigay ito sa mga nangangailangang komunidad sa halip na itapon upang mapakinabangan naman ngayong pandemya (If we can subject the seized vegetables and fruits to rigid inspection and quality test, we should study the possibility of distributed them to needy communities instead of throwing them away),” said Marcos.

Data from Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that for the second quarter of 2021, an estimated 3.4 million Filipino families have experienced hunger. Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology- Food and Nutrition Research Institute said a total of 1.7 metric tons of food are being wasted every day.

Marcos also encouraged the two agencies to intensify their fight against the illegal smuggling of fruits and vegetables in the country to protect the welfare of Filipino farmers.

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