Two government agencies in the country will run after violators to curtail the entry of smuggled agricultural commodities and ensure an optimum level of food safety for Filipino consumers. According to a press release, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) forged an agreement to implement a new set of measures Friday, Oct. 8, 2021 to address the concern. Agriculture Secretary William Dar and BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero agreed to strengthen the “second border” inspections and create a technical working group (TWG) to review the 15-year-old guidelines and procedures on handling imported food items. “Our goal is to curb the entry of smuggled agri-fishery products, while ensuring consumer safety in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 10611 or the ‘Food Safety Act of 2013’ and other applicable laws,” Secretary Dar said in a statement.

DA: Imported agri-fishery commodities to undergo ‘second border’ inspection. (2021, October 12). SunStar Cebu, p. 5.