The Bureau of Customs is closely monitoring the entry of fake rice in Cebu according to BOC District Collector Arnulfo Marcos.
“So far we haven’t seen any fake rice here but we are constantly monitoring,” Marcos told the reporters.
Last week, there were reports that suspected synthetic rice, supposedly smuggled from China, which is reportedly a mixture of potatoes, sweet potatoes and plastic or industrial synthetic resin, entered the Philippines through Davao port.
Meanwhile, BOC Port of Cebu seized 9,000 sacks of rice at the sub-port of Dumaguete last March 2015 because the shipment lacks permits.
Marcos said that they received an information from a government official in the town of Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental about the shipment.
“The intercepted sacks of rice were believed to have come from Malaysia since each sack contains 25 kilos of rice,” Marcos said during the 888 News Forum at Marco Polo Hotel Plaza.
Marcos said each was estimated to be worth P1,000 and they believe the consignees of the smuggled rice are Muslim traders from Basilan and Jolo which are both near Malaysia.
The sacks of rice are placed in a private warehouse in Dumaguete and will be auctioned off in Cebu since the auction committee is in BOC Port of Cebu.