The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) on June 18 called for stronger governance, regulation, and interagency coordination to curb illicit tobacco trade in Mindanao and across the country.
Call for synchronized operations
MinDA Chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno said no single agency can address the scale of illegal trade alone, citing Mindanao’s vast terrain and porous coastlines.
“It is only when the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and our local government units operate as a singular, synchronized machine that we can successfully strangle these illicit operations,” Magno said.
Protecting farmers and revenues
He praised law enforcement efforts to intercept illegal shipments and strengthen border security, saying sustained operations are critical to protecting farmers and government revenues.
“We must enforce the law to protect our local tobacco farmers and secure the rightful revenues needed to build critical infrastructure across Mindanao,” he said. “By eradicating these illegal activities, we are not just enforcing the law, we are securing a better place and a more prosperous future for the 27 million Mindanawons.”
Summit highlights interagency coordination
The Third International Tobacco Summit gathered senior officials from the National Tobacco Administration, Bureau of Customs, Department of Justice, Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces, highlighting broad interagency coordination against illicit trade.
Organizers said the event, led by the Department of Agriculture and the National Tobacco Administration, aligns with the Philippines’ Asean Chairmanship in 2026, where illicit trade is expected to be part of the regional agenda.
