‘Sari-sari’ stores warned vs selling fake, smuggled tobacco products
The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has warned sari-sari stores against selling fake or smuggled tobacco products, adding that violators will face steep penalties.
The NTA reiterated this warning amid reports of the widespread sale of illegal tobacco products in these stores.
Store owners found guilty of selling such products will face “severe consequences” such as hefty fines and possible imprisonment and these items will also be confiscated.
“Illicit tobacco is a widespread problem that destroys legitimate businesses, compromises public safety, and robs tobacco farmers of their livelihood,” NTA said in a statement on Friday.
Information campaign
According to the agency, violators may pay P50,000 to P200,000 in fines and face two to five years in prison for trademark infringement involving fake cigarettes.
“Selling products without the required tax stamps carries a penalty of five to eight years imprisonment, while even stocking items with no graphic health warnings can result in fines up to P100,000 and a one-year jail term for retailers,” it added.
As part of the campaign against illegal tobacco products, the NTA distributed 50,000 posters and information materials to sari-sari stores across major cities nationwide.
NTA said it initiated the campaign as “legitimate sari-sari stores find themselves increasingly squeezed by a booming black market.”
Price disparities
Citing industry data, the agency noted that illegal cigarettes are sold for as low as P3 to P4 per stick—over 40 to nearly 60 percent cheaper than the lowest-priced brand at P7 per stick.
It also said the disparity grows by the pack, with an illegal cigarette pack retailing for P30 compared to the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s mandated minimum legal price of P82.49 each.
NTA also said the vape industry is dealing with a similar crisis, with the Bureau of Customs destroying P3.26 billion worth of smuggled vape products in a single operation in April.
Coping with losses
The Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA) previously said tobacco farmers had lost as much as P978.44 million in income, a 24.7 percent increase from a year ago, due to the surge in smuggled cigarettes from January to October this year.
The group said approximately 11.8 billion sticks of illegal cigarettes had been sold in the country in the first 10 months of 2025, a 30.2-percent rise from a year ago.
Furthermore, PTGA said the farm-gate price of tobacco, or the price received by local farmers for selling their harvests, had dropped by 3.08 percent to P104.9 per kilogram.
