MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday ordered the destruction of P86.7 million worth of onions imported from China that were left abandoned at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
The bulk cargo contains about 650 metric tons of red onions—packed into 72,215 bags across 26 twenty-foot containers—matching the entire country’s average daily consumption.
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) recommended its destruction after laboratory tests confirmed the cargo poses health risks.
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In a statement, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stressed that public health considerations must be prioritized more than the financial value of the stranded cargo.
