“JUST do what is right. No to corruption!”

This was reiterated by Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar to the officials and employees of the Bureau of Plant Industry-National Plant Quarantine Services Division (BPI-NPQSD) during the division’s recent 44th founding anniversary.

Dar made the statement amid agricultural smuggling and extortion controversies surrounding Philippine agriculture.

“Do not be afraid. As long as you do your job with integrity, then you can be sure that the Department of Agriculture has your back on moral decisions. Keeping to the right path will give you the courage to face the law and claim justice for doing your job,” Dar stressed.

Dar said that the BPI-NPQSD is constantly in a challenging position.

It is tasked with enforcing plant quarantine laws and regulations and phytosanitary measures on imported and exported agricultural commodities per the Plant Quarantine Decree of 1978.

He also granted a special plaque of commendation to the NPQSD for “standing strong, doing right, and doing what is right based on all existing laws.”

“I hope that these challenges that we are currently facing will not discourage everyone from working with honor and truthfulness. Instead, may these serve as a motivation for us to always do the right thing and protect the integrity and credibility of the Plant Quarantine Group, the BPI, and the DA. We cannot let our fear of failure, temptation, or judgment stop us from doing our job well,” Dar added.

For his part, NPQSD Officer-in-Charge Chief Joselito Antioquia shared the division’s steadfast “commitment” to its duties and responsibilities.

“We have maintained our stand in implementing our mandates. I am thankful to every staff member, no matter what job you have in our division, for doing your assigned tasks compliantly and diligently without fear and favor. I hope that everyone who is present here will take these issues as lessons and support the Secretary in his drive against graft and corruption,” Antioquia said.

According to the history overview provided by Antioquia, the NPQSD was first known as the Plant Inspection Service under the Bureau of Agriculture’s Plant Industry Division and was established to prohibit the importation and exportation of diseased planting materials to and from the Philippines as per Act 2515 enacted on February 5, 1912.

However, the lack of qualified personnel delayed its implementation to 1915.

The service was then separated to form the Plant Pest Control Division in 1919. Later legislation such as the Plant Quarantine Act of 1922 and the Agricultural Pest Quarantine Act of 1930 further enhanced the existing plant quarantine measures in the Philippines.

Presidential Decree Number 1433 – better known as the Plant Quarantine Decree of 1978 – was passed on June 10, 1978. The country’s plant quarantine laws were revised and consolidated, strengthening the BPI’s Plant Quarantine Service.

The PD 1433 would later be amended in 2003 to rename the service as the current NPQSD, with the primary goal of monitoring and controlling the movement of plant pests and diseases.

The NPQSD comprises 23 center stations and 12 sub-stations nationwide, as well as its Central Office in Malate, Manila.

The BPI-NPQSD’s anniversary celebration this year highlighted vigilance against agricultural lawbreakers with its theme, “Transforming Plant Quarantine, Strengthening Vigilance to Adapt in this Pandemic.”