CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (October 24) — Tobacco farmers across Mindanao are losing thousands of pesos in income each year due to the rampant sale of smuggled cigarettes, the PhilTobacco Growers Association, Inc. (PTGA) warned.
PTGA president Saturnino Distor said about 11.8 billion sticks of illegal cigarettes are expected to be sold in the country this year — equivalent to 9.4 million kilograms of tobacco that local growers, including those in Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, and North Cotabato, could have supplied.
With the farmgate price averaging ₱104.09 per kilo, the group estimates ₱978 million in total income losses, or roughly ₱17,000 per farmer.
“For small farmers in Mindanao, ₱17,000 means food, fertilizer, and school fees,” Distor said. “Every illegal cigarette sold takes away the value of our hard work.”
The government also loses about ₱40 billion annually in excise taxes from cigarette smuggling — funds that could support PhilHealth and Department of Health programs for rural communities, the group said.
Mindanao remains one of the main entry points of cheap, counterfeit cigarettes, which are sold for as low as ₱2 per stick, well below the regulated ₱7 price of legal products.
Distor also warned that fake cigarettes pose serious health risks, as tests have found lead, insect parts, and even human waste in seized products.
“These are not just illegal — they’re deadly,” he said.
While the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act (RA 12022) was passed last year to curb smuggling, no tobacco smuggler has yet been charged under the law.
“We’re not asking for special favors,” Distor added. “We’re asking for fairness — and a chance to keep farming and feeding our families.”
