P47M misdeclared food shipments seized at Subic port

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Bureau of Customs seized P47.436 million worth of misdeclared agricultural products at the Port of Subic on 27 March 2026, preventing their entry into the local market.

Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the confiscation of frozen and processed food items was in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that only safe and compliant products reach consumers. The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service flagged the shipments after receiving reports of misdeclared cargo, prompting the issuance of alert orders and pre-lodgement control orders.

“Upon detecting subsequent incoming shipments from China bearing the same declared description, Pre-Lodgement Control Orders (PLCOs) were likewise issued. To verify the contents of the cargoes, a 100% physical examination was conducted, yielding 3,192 cartons of assorted food products—including frozen beef, pork, chicken, duck, and other pastry and seafood items, instead of the declared ‘assorted shabu-shabu balls,’” Nepomuceno said.

Authorities said the shipments violated provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 and the Food Safety Act of 2013. District Collector Noel Estanislao said enforcement efforts will be intensified to curb agricultural smuggling, while Nepomuceno added, “This operation is a testament to the BOC’s consistent and unwavering commitment to safeguarding the public from unsafe and non-compliant products, while ensuring the protection of lawful government revenues, as part of its reform agenda through the Integrity, Accountability, and Modernization (IAM) Program.”