PASAY CITY—The Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform delivered a stark warning on Thursday, December 4, 2025, declaring that rampant agricultural smuggling has escalated beyond an economic crime to become a full-blown national security crisis. 

As the Senate resumed its inquiry into the country’s deepening food and agricultural problems, legislators underscored that the illicit trade constitutes a coordinated assault on the nation's food security and sovereignty. 

Senate Committee Chairman on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan emphasized, “Food security is a national security concern; therefore, agri-smuggling is a threat to our national security.”

Senators voiced profound dismay over what they perceive as a systemic failure by government agencies to curb the activity, which they say involves sophisticated foreign syndicates—notably Chinese exporters—working hand-in-hand with local collaborators and exploiting corruption within state ranks.

The inquiry revealed the syndicates' brazen methods: utilizing dummy firms and deliberately misdeclared shipments to flood ports across the nation with contraband goods. This illicit activity is not just undermining the livelihood of local farmers; legislators warned it is destabilizing food prices and directly threatening the country’s overall economic and political stability. 

The committee emphasized that the scale and coordinated nature of the smuggling operation highlight a dangerous vulnerability in national borders and regulatory systems, painting a grim picture of sophisticated criminal organizations exploiting weaknesses in governance for immense profit.

The senators are now pressing for immediate and decisive action, demanding a higher level of interagency cooperation and accountability to dismantle the syndicates.

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