Tobacco agency asks LGUs’ help vs cigarette smuggling

The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has urged local government units (LGUs) to help the government combat cigarette smuggling, which not only threatens the tobacco industry but also reduces revenues by up to P52 billion.

It called on LGUs to actively monitor and report the presence of illicit cigarettes in their communities to support a broader campaign against the illegal trade that, according to NTA Administrator Belinda Sanchez, “undermines government revenues, public health, national security and farmers’ incomes.”

The NTA made the appeal after the recent seizure of P6.46 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes hidden in a cement mixer truck at a checkpoint in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue estimated that the government is losing P40 billion to P52 billion in revenues from the sale of smuggled and untaxed cigarettes.

Lower prices

The NTA said that these sell for between P2 and P4 per stick compared with P8 for legitimate brands.

See Also

1,000 Japanese troops to take part in ‘Balikatan’–AFP

In the last quarter of 2025 alone, the Philippine National Police’s Highway Patrol Group confiscated almost P3 billion worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes.

Local authorities observed that while smuggling was previously concentrated in parts of Mindanao, particularly in Zamboanga Peninsula and the Bangsamoro region, the illicit activity have since evolved, with the cigarettes being made in the country.