00:00Thank you, Secretary Ralph Recta, for your interview.
00:07Please sit down.
00:09Well, we just came here today to highlight the efforts of our Bureau of Customs, our
00:16Department of Finance, our Department of Trade and Industry, on our efforts to try and curtail
00:25the smuggling, which has become very, very rampant of these vape products and their sale,
00:33most disturbingly, to minors.
00:36I'm happy to be able to report to the country that the levels at which we have been able
00:47to find these smuggled goods and to eventually destroy them has increased steadily over the
00:57last year and a half.
00:59I think in 2023, we caught around 3.
01:08something billion worth of smuggled goods.
01:11That doubled last year.
01:14And just from January to March, we are well on our way also to achieving even more seizures
01:25of these illegal vapes.
01:27Why is it so important that we do this?
01:29One, of course, because it is illegal.
01:33They have smuggled these in without any permits, any kind of documentation.
01:40Pinagbibilid na nga dito sa Pilipinas.
01:43And the very serious problem that accompanies that, na walang documentation, na walang inspection,
01:51dahil yung iba rito na ininspection natin, ay nahanapan may laso na nakapasok doon sa
02:00liquid na ginagamit na pangvape.
02:03Kaya lalong-lalong na nakakabahala, dahil kung titignan natin yung packaging, yung packaging
02:11talagang para sa bata.
02:13Kaya ang target market nila, bata.
02:15So unang-una, gusto nilang turuan ma-addict ang mga bata sa vape.
02:21Tapos delikado pa yung vape dahil may lasong nga nakikita na isinasamag.
02:28Kasi hindi natin naman malaman, hindi natin may inspection, smuggled nga.
02:32Hindi natin may inspection, hindi natin alam kung saan galing.
02:35We do not know about the manufacturing process that they go through before they come here.
02:43So hindi natin malaman kung ito ba is safe o hindi.
02:46Kaya yan ang nagiging malaking problema sa atin.
02:52Kaya naman I congratulate all our people here in the Bureau of Customs and Department of
02:58Finance.
02:59I think the BIR is also working hard to do the same thing.
03:03Nagsisisu sila mga warehouse naman ang kanilang ipapasok.
03:07So patuloy natin gagawin ito.
03:10I just wanted to highlight the efforts and the dangers, the efforts that we are doing
03:16and the dangers that accompany these smuggled vapes.
03:20Far and beyond the loss in revenue to the government, more important to us are the health
03:25issues that these smuggled vapes raise.
03:29So again, thank you all very much, congratulations, keep up the good work.
03:36We are beginning to see success to all of your efforts.
03:41Maraming salamat, congratulations, keep it going, tuluy-tuluy tayo.
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