SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija – Aside from smuggling, unchecked onion imports are pushing Filipino farmers to the brink, with disjointed government data and sloppy government response threatening to deepen the problem, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Thursday.
Lacson called out the Department of Agriculture and Philippine Statistics Authority for the discrepancies in their data on onion production and consumption, hindering the government from making the needed decisions to help our onion farmers.
At the hearing of the Senate committees on agriculture and local government here tackling the systemic collapse of onion farm-gate prices, he also scored the “very wide” communication gap between the DA and stakeholders.
“Paano tayo magkaroon ng magandang decision kung di kayo magkasundo (How can we arrive at effective decisions if your data is disjointed)?” he said, particularly addressing the representatives of the DA and PSA here.
“Napakaimportante na kumpleto at accurate ang data para kung magpaplano tayo. Maski sa military operations, kung mali ang assumption, debacle – patay ang lahat na sundalo (It is very important that your data is complete and accurate so we can plan properly. In military operations, if the assumptions are wrong, the soldiers get killed and we experience a debacle),” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson: Bukod sa Smuggling, Di-Kontroladong Pag-aangkat at Palpak na Pagtugon, ‘Pumapatay’ sa Onion Farmers Natin
During the hearing, the PSA said the Philippines produced 308,660 metric tons in 2025, with Lacson noting this could mean a surplus of around 13,000 metric tons.
But Lacson also noted that the Philippines imported 94,000 metric tons that same year, adding the volume of onion imports that year could even be bigger – potentially up to 150,000 metric tons if smuggling and leakage are factored in.
On the other hand, Lacson said an extrapolation of the DA’s figures showing onion production in 2025 amounted to 245,988 metric tons from Regions 1, 2, 3, and Mimaropa in 2025 showed a deficit of 22,035 metric tons.
“Ganyan magkalayo ang inyong datos. Paano tayo magkaroon ng magandang decision kung hindi kayo magkasundo (That’s how big the difference in your data is. How can we make effective decisions if your data is that disjointed)?” he said.
Lacson also scored what he described as a pattern of importing too much, noting the 94,000 metric tons imported last year far exceeded the projected deficit. He likewise questioned the DA for its “very wide” communication gap with stakeholders.
“It seems the communication gap is very wide. Napakalawak ng communication gap between stakeholders and the DA. Kinokonsulta ba kayo ng DA? How often? Kino-consult pero di kayo pinapakinggan (It seems the communication gap between the DA and stakeholders is very wide. Are stakeholders being consulted by the DA? How often? Or if they are consulted, are the stakeholders being heard)?” he said.
“Kahit weekly (ang consultations) pero kung hindi kayo pinapakinggan, useless ang consultations (Even if your consultations are held weekly but the DA does not listen to the stakeholders, the consultations are useless),” he added.
Lacson likewise scored the DA for not acting on the plight of onion farmers in Occidental Mindoro after a farmer from Magsaysay town said 40 percent of their 26,000 metric tons of onions could not be harvested and no one would buy their produce. Because of this, they may have to uproot their produce.
“Ngayon nyo lang ba narinig ito, ang problemang yan? Di ba dapat minomonitor nyo yan? Kung ganito ang klaseng officials ng gobyerno natin, talagang walang mangyayari sa agriculture sector natin (Did you learn of this only now? Aren’t you supposed to monitor the situation? If your officials are like this, nothing good will happen to the agriculture sector),” Lacson asked the DA representatives present.
He also pointed out that while the DA said it would act on the procurement problem, the 2026 budget has no funds for this – although the President can realign funds when needed.
“May pondo sa palay, P9 billion; sa onion growers wala … Why make public pronouncements, bibigyan nyo false hopes ang onion growers (The 2026 budget has a P9-billion fund for palay procurement but none for onions. Why make public pronouncements and give false hopes to our onion growers)?” he said.
“It’s a matter of coordinating with each other and consulting with stakeholders, which you are not doing,” he added.
PH Lost Billions in Foregone Taxes to China
Lacson said the Philippines lost at least P267.13 billion in foregone tax revenues from trade with China in 2023 alone, likely in large part to smuggling and leakages.
He cited discrepancies in Philippine and Chinese records indicating P143.82 billion in foregone value-added tax and P123.31 billion in foregone income tax.
Data from the World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS) in 2023 showed that while the Philippines reported $30.933 billion in imports from China, China reported $52.4 billion in exports to the Philippines, he said.
This amounted to a discrepancy of $21.4668 billion, or P143.82 billion in potential foregone 12% value-added tax (VAT) collections, with an exchange rate of P55.83 to $1 at the time.
“Anong ibig sabihin noon? Smuggling. Underdeclared, misdeclared or not declared (What does it mean? Smuggling – underdeclared, misdeclared or not declared),” he said.
“P143.82 billion. Yan ang leakage sa ating dapat makolektang buwis (That is the leakage in the taxes we are supposed to collect),” he added, addressing representatives of the Bureau of Customs.
Citing more figures from the World Bank, he noted China reported $10.647 billion in Philippine exports to China, and $19.4828 billion in China imports from the Philippines. This amounted to a discrepancy of $8.835 billion, or a potential P123.31 billion in foregone income tax.
“Dinadaya naman dito ang income tax. Di tayo tina-tax sa export (We are being cheated out of income tax because we are not being taxed for exports),” he said.
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Lacson: Bukod sa Smuggling, Di-Kontroladong Pag-aangkat at Palpak na Pagtugon, ‘Pumapatay’ sa Onion Farmers Natin
SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija — Bukod sa smuggling at leakages, ang hindi kontroladong pag-aangkat ng sibuyas ay nagpapahirap sa mga Pilipinong magsasaka, at lumalala ang problema dahil sa hindi magkakaugnay na datos ng gobyerno at sa palpak na pagtugon ng ilang ahensya ng gobyerno, ani Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson nitong Huwebes.
Binatikos ni Lacson ang Department of Agriculture (DA) at Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) dahil sa mga hindi pagtutugma ng datos tungkol sa produksyon at pagkonsumo ng sibuyas, na nakahahadlang sa gobyerno sa paggawa ng tamang desisyon upang matulungan ang mga magsasaka.
Sa pagdinig ng Senate agriculture at local government committees dito na tumatalakay sa sistematikong pagbagsak ng farm-gate price ng sibuyas, binigyang-diin din niya ang napakalawak na puwang sa komunikasyon sa pagitan ng DA at mga stakeholder.
“Paano tayo magkaroon ng magandang decision kung di kayo magkasundo?” tanong niya, na tinukoy ang mga kinatawan ng DA at PSA.
“Napakaimportante na kumpleto at accurate ang data para kung magpaplano tayo. Maski sa military operations, kung mali ang assumption, debacle—patay ang lahat na sundalo,” dagdag niya.
Ayon sa kinatawan ng PSA, naka-produce ang Pilipinas ng 308,660 metric tons ng sibuyas noong 2025, na ayon kay Lacson ay maaaring magpahiwatig ng sobra na humigit kumulang 13,000 metric tons.
Ngunit binanggit din niya na umabot sa 94,000 metric tons ang na-import na sibuyas noong parehong taon, at maaaring mas mataas pa—posibleng umabot sa 150,000 metric tons—kung isasama ang smuggling at leakages.
Samantala, binanggit ni Lacson na pag in-extrapolate ang datos ng DA na umabot sa 245,988 metric tons ang produksyon ng sibuyas noong 2025 sa Regions 1, 2, 3, at Mimaropa, magkakaroon ng kakulangan na 22,035 metric tons.
“Ganyan magkalayo ang inyong datos. Paano tayo magkaroon ng magandang decision kung hindi kayo magkasundo?” ani Lacson.
Binatikos din niya ang “pattern” ng sobrang pag-aangkat, at tinukoy ang 94,000 metric tons na na-import noong nakaraang taon na lumampas sa tinatayang kakulangan. Pinuna rin niya ang DA sa napakalawak na puwang ng komunikasyon nito sa mga stakeholder.
“Mukhang napakalawak ng communication gap. Napakalawak ng communication gap between stakeholders and the DA. Kinokonsulta ba kayo ng DA? Gaano kadalas? Kung kino-consult man, pinapakinggan ba kayo?” tanong niya.
“Kahit weekly ang consultations, pero kung hindi kayo pinapakinggan, useless ang consultations,” dagdag pa niya.
Pinuna din ni Lacson ang DA sa kakulangan ng aksyon sa sitwasyon ng onion growers sa Occidental Mindoro, matapos ikwento ng isang magsasaka galing sa bayan ng Magsaysay na 40 porsyento ng 26,000 metric tons nila ay hindi maani dahil walang tinigil ang pagbibili nito. Dahil dito, aniya, kailangan nilang bunutin ang sibuyas nila.
“Ngayon nyo lang ba narinig ito, ang problemang yan? Di ba dapat minomonitor nyo yan? Kung ganito ang klaseng officials ng gobyerno natin, talagang walang mangyayari sa agriculture sector natin,” tanong ni Lacson sa kinatawan ng DA sa pagdinig.
Dagdag ni Lacson, bagama’t sinabi ng DA na tutugunan nila ang problema, walang pondo sa 2026 budget para dito bagama’t maaaring i-realign ng Pangulo ang pondo ng budget kung kinakailangan.
“May pondo sa palay, P9 billion; sa onion growers wala … Why make public pronouncements, bibigyan nyo false hopes ang onion growers?” aniya.
“It’s a matter of coordinating with each other and consulting with stakeholders, which you are not doing,” dagdag niya.
Bilyon-Bilyong Nawalang Buwis sa Pakikipagkalakalan sa Tsina
Ani Lacson, nawalan ang Pilipinas ng hindi bababa sa P267.13 bilyon sa buwis mula sa kalakalan sa Tsina noong 2023, at ang malaking bahagi nito ay maaaring dahil sa smuggling at leakages.
Binanggit niya ang hindi pagtutugma sa tala ng Pilipinas at Tsina na nagpapakita ng P143.82 bilyon na nawalang value-added tax at P123.31 bilyon na nawalang income tax.
Ayon sa datos ng World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS) ng World Bank noong 2023, iniulat ng Pilipinas na $30.933 bilyon ang na-import mula Tsina, samantalang iniulat ng Tsina na $52.4 bilyon ang na-export sa Pilipinas.
Ito ay may diperensya na $21.4668 bilyon, o P143.82 bilyon na posibleng nawalang 12% VAT, batay sa palitan na P55.83 sa bawat $1.
“Anong ibig sabihin noon? Smuggling. Underdeclared, misdeclared, o hindi idineklara,” paliwanag niya.
“P143.82 bilyon. Yan ang leakage sa ating dapat makolektang buwis,” dagdag niya, na tumutukoy sa mga kinatawan ng Bureau of Customs.
Ayon sa iba pang datos mula sa World Bank, iniulat ng Tsina na $10.647 bilyon ang na-export ng Pilipinas sa Tsina, at $19.4828 bilyon ang na-import ng Tsina mula sa Pilipinas. Ito ay may diperensya na $8.835 bilyon, o posibleng P123.31 bilyon na nawalang income tax.
“Dinadaya naman dito ang income tax. Di tayo tina-tax sa export,” ani Lacson.
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