Philippines

In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) serves as the primary agency responsible for ensuring agricultural development. It formulates policy frameworks and implements them, manages public investments, and provides critical support services related to trade. As part of its mandate to safeguard the Philippine plant industry, the Bureau of Plant Industry also plays a vital role in the seed system. Having a seed market size estimated at 0.82B USD in 2023, the BPI continues to collaborate with private and public institutions to drive research and development, provide production support, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements (Mordor Intelligence, 2024).

The National Plant Quarantine Services Division (NPQSD) of the DA-BPI, as mandated by Presidential Decree No. 1433 known as the “Plant Quarantine Decree of 1978”, and further amended by Executive Order No. 366 Series of 2003, serves as the regulatory authority overseeing the import, export, and domestic movement, and market access of plants and plant products. It ensures efficient border control and facilitates agricultural trade. With over (30 NPQS stations including sub-stations covering 47 international and domestic airports, and 147 international and domestic seaports) throughout the Philippines, the NPQSD remains vigilant in protecting the PH agriculture from the introduction, establishment, and spread of pests associated with plants, plant products, and planting materials.

To ensure sanitary and phytosanitary conditions of trade partners, the NPQSD promulgated several policies and guidelines for the movement of seeds.

1. Presidential Decree No. 1433 known as the “Plant Quarantine Decree of 1978”,
2. Executive Order No. 366 Series of 2003,
3. DA Department Circular No. 04, series of 2016 outlines the Guidelines on the Importation of Plants, Planting Materials, and Plant Products for Commercial Purposes.
4. BPI Quarantine Administrative Order No. 02 s2018 “Procedural Manual in the Conduct of Phytosanitary Import Inspection"
5. DA Department Circular No.06, series of 2020 entitled “Rules and Regulations Governing the Importation and Exportation of Plant Food”
6. 6. BPI AC no. 1 s. 2021 entitled "Requirements on the Licensing and Registration of Food Business Operators (FBOs) Engaged in the Primary Production, Minimal Processing, Storage, Transport and Distribution of Plant Food”
7. BPI Memorandum Order No. 01, series of 2020 entitled “Protocol on Facilitating Request to Gain Access to Foreign Market for Plants, Plant Products and Planting Materials”
8. BPI QAO no. 1 s. 2018 entitled "Pest Risk Analysis Manual”
9. DA Quarantine AC no. 1 s. 2014 entitled "Guidelines for the Categorization of Commodities of Plant Origin”
10. ISPM 11 entitled “Pest risk analysis for quarantine pests”
11. ISPM 7 entitled "EXPORT CERTIFICATION SYSTEM”
12. ISPM 45 entitled “Requirements for national plant protection organizations if authorizing entities to perform phytosanitary actions”
13. ISPM 38 entitled “International movement of seeds”
14. Localised ISPM 38 soon to published

A Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) must be obtained from BPI NPQSD to enter the Philippine seed market. This document outlines the conditions that the applicant or trader must adhere to for the importation.

The NPQSD lists the allowale planting materials for import in this link:(https://npqsd.bpi-npqsd.com.ph/import/ ).

If not on the list, BPI will conduct Pest Risk Analysis (PRA)

The three (3) general stages used in the conduct of PRA. The PRA process, as a technical tool used for identifying appropriate phytosanitary measures, adheres to the guidelines set forth in International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 2).

1. Initiation
2. Pest Risk Assessment
   • Step 1. Pest Categorization
   • Step 2. Assessment of Probability of Entry
   • Step 3. Impacts or Economic Consequences
   • Step 4. Overall assessment of risks
3. Pest Risk Management

The requirements for importation are as follows:

1. Application for License to Operate as Importer

Before the issuance of SPSIC, the applicant must be a registered importer of BPI and shall apply to, the service provider in charge of collecting and processing data for the purpose of consummating transactions with BPI. The procedure for licensing as an importer is detailed in this procedure manual.

The LTO is valid for three (3) years and renewal shall be done six (6) months before expiration. Renewal after expiration will be considered as a new application. Other pertinent information on the processing of SPSIC including processing fees is also indicated in the DA Department Circular No. 4 s2016 entitled “Guidelines on the Importation of Plants, Planting Materials, and Plant Products for Commercial Purposes”.

2. Application for SPSIC

The step-by-step procedure for the issuance of SPSIC is detailed below:

Figure 1. Procedure for Application for SPSIC for seeds for research or planting

Requirements in the SPSIC application:

• Proforma Invoice
• Location map (Port of entry to Final Destination)
• Research proposal (if the seeds will be used for research)
• GMO and / or non-GMO certification (for GM products)

3. Inspection and clearance upon arrival

An importer shall secure an Application for Inspection / Electronic Request for Inspection (e-RFI) with the NPQSD through the DA-Trade System, or in case of manual application, BPI “Q” Form No. 4. Application for Inspection, at least twenty-four (24) hours before arrival of the consignment. The following requirements must be submitted:

1. Phytosanitary certificate - paper/e-certificate issued by the NPPO of the country of origin signifying that the seeds for import are free from pests and diseases and are compliant with the phytosanitary conditions the PH
2. SPSIC
3. Bill of Lading/airway bill (for seaport and airport arrival, respectively)
4. Packing list/Commercial Invoice
5. Bureau of Customs (BOC) entry declaration (copy) (Single Administrative Document)
6. Laboratory test/ Treatment Certificate (if required)

Upon arrival of a shipment, the Plant Quarantine Officers at the port of entry shall inspect the commodities. The procedure for commodity inspection, verification, and clearance is depicted below.

Figure 2. Procedure for Commodity Inspection, Verification, and Clearance

4. Post entry quarantine

A post-entry quarantine is required as a phytosanitary measure for seeds intended for use as planting materials. Seeds will be grown in isolated field sites, screenhouse, or greenhouse/glasshouses given the high risk of spread of plant pests across borders. This is particularly necessary when the quarantine pests associated with seeds are challenging to detect upon entry, as signs and symptoms may take time to appear, or when testing or treatment is required.

To export goods from the Philippines, whether commercially or non-commercially, you must apply for export permission at least two days (48 hours) before your intended departure. This allows time for the export process to be completed.

The export and phytosanitary certification process follows international standards (IPPC). Exporters must meet both the Philippines' export rules and the import rules of the destination country, especially if a trade agreement exists between the two.

1. Application:

• Submit BPI Q Form No. 10 to the nearest NPQSD Station at least 48 hours before packing or treatment.
• Provide detailed information, including:
  • Date of application
  • Exporter's name, address, and contact number
  • Commodity's common and scientific names
  • Quantity of seeds
  • Description and number of packages
  • Origin/source of commodity
  • Consignee's name and address
  • Desired inspection date, place, and time
  • Port of entry
  • Means of conveyance
  • Flight or voyage number
  • Departure date
  • Import permit/treatment/laboratory/other declarations

2. Application Review:

• The NPQSD officer reviews the application, checks for prohibited commodities, and verifies the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
• Additional documents may be required, such as:
  • Import permit from the importing country
  • NSIC Resolution on Restricted Varieties (DA Department Circular 17 s. 2020)
  • Export Declaration
  • Packing List
  • Commercial Invoice

3. Commodity Inspection:

• A PQ inspector conducts the inspection based on ISPM 31 or specific protocols.
• If treatment is required, the inspector supervises it, and a BPI-accredited provider issues a treatment certificate.
• Laboratory analysis may be required, with a pest detection report issued.

4. Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) Issuance:

• The PC follows ISPM 12 guidelines and can be in paper or electronic (ePhyto) format.
• The PC is valid after all requirements are met, dated, signed, and stamped by BPI-NPQSD.

5. Payment

• Regulatory fees are based on DA Administrative Circular No. 8 series of 2016.

6. PC Release:

• The PC should accompany the consignment.
• It can be sent separately if accepted by the importing country's NPPO.
• Electronic PCs should be directly accessible to the importing country's NPPO.

The NPQSD partners with private companies and public research institutions to share knowledge, practices, and expertise for the conduct of Pest Risk Analysis and private laboratory accreditation. Some of the most prominent concerns include pest lists (that are not updated for seed-transmitted pests) affecting the Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) process (ISPM11) and the conduct of private laboratories (ISPM45). Below are some of the successful developments:

1. CropLife Philippines requested the Philippines NPPO to review the compiled list of current quarantine pests of concern for eight imported seeds such as (cucumber, melon tomato, onion eggplant, watermelon, and corn) for sowing and provide justification for the removal of specific pests in alignment with the principles of ISPM 38 and based on significant work conducted by International Seed Federation (ISF). After the re-conduct of pest risk analysis, several pests for each crop commodity, where seed is not a pathway, were removed from the SPSICs. Updated import conditions of those eight commodities for the current pest list of cucumber, melon tomato, onion eggplant, watermelon, and corn) are reflected in SPSIC issued by BPI
2. The Philippines has also authorized certain private laboratories under certain conditions a seed testing facility for incoming and outgoing seeds. However, the private sector must strictly adhere to quarantine requirements. This is to ensure that the incoming seeds consignment has a plant quarantine clearance for a phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of origin, Laboratory accreditation presently relies on the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between private seed companies and research institutions. These institutions/companies (Corteva and IRRI) have achieved an ISO/ISTA certification/accreditation to consistently provide high-quality products and services to the farmers/stakeholders.