crackdown on illicit cigarettes

CITY OFFICIALS have raised alarm over the increasing presence of illicit cigarettes and vape products, warning that the surge threatens not only public health and government revenues but also Davao’s long-standing reputation as a national model for effective tobacco control.

The concern surfaced during a joint committee hearing on Oct. 24, initiated by a privilege speech of Councilor Rachel Zozobrado. She described the proliferation of illicit products as “a slap in the face to a city that once led the Philippines in pioneering anti-smoking reforms.”

“Davao was the pioneer of anti-smoking laws. It is part of our identity,” Zozobrado said. “To allow illicit trade to take root undermines the very legacy that made Davao a model city.”

Davao’s anti-smoking culture traces back to the early 2000s, under then-mayor and later President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, when the city adopted one of the country’s earliest and strictest smoke-free ordinances. Officials noted that Davao, having once led the nation, can once again set the standard, this time in addressing illicit trade.

The joint hearing was led by the committee on trade and industry, chaired by Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, and the committee on health, chaired by Councilor Trisha Ann Villafuerte, with participation from enforcement agencies and regulatory offices.

Dalodo-Ortiz called for clarity on enforcement and compliance, asking the City’s Business Bureau to confirm whether any business permits have ever been suspended or revoked for involvement in illicit tobacco or vape trade.

“We need to know what enforcement looks like on the ground,” she said. “We cannot strengthen regulation without clear data.”

Villafuerte raised concern over the rapid growth of online sellers offering illicit cigarettes and vapes in the city, noting that such sales bypass age checks, safety monitoring, and tax compliance.

“This has created a silent marketplace that is largely unregulated,” Villafuerte said.

Representing the tobacco industry, Atty. Mario T. Zinampan, Fiscal and Regulatory Affairs Director of JTI, commended the inquiry and stressed that addressing illicit trade requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.

“No single sector can solve this alone,” Zinampan said.

Data from the Bureau of Customs show that from January to August 2025, authorities seized ₱34.73 billion worth of smuggled goods nationwide, including ₱2.1 billion in illicit cigarettes and vape products. Some of these shipments are believed to have passed through Mindanao ports.

Zozobrado emphasized that the hearings will guide evidence-based policy recommendations, including, if warranted, the potential enactment of a local Anti-Illicit Trade Ordinance covering cigarettes and vapor products.

“Just as Davao once led the country in smoke-free governance, we can lead again in protecting our communities from illicit trade,” she said.

Further committee hearings and consultations are scheduled in the coming weeks.