LONG time ago, somebody trying to impress a lot people gave me what looked like a luxury watch.

He was actually selling the very attractive piece to raise money but chose to donate it to a ‘deserving’ person that was me.

The guy has superb taste for fashion accessories so I didn’t doubt on the authenticity of the watch which I proudly wore in many occasions.

I always felt good wearing that watch until a friend with an eye for expensive timepieces told me: “Where did you buy that watch?”. I replied: “It’s just a gift.” He smiled and said: “Buti na lang. Akala ko bumibili ka ng fake.”

And that was the last time I wore that watch.

For me, the damage was just disappointment and embarrassment. I’m quick to recover from those two bad feelings. But what about those who paid lots of money for products –bags, shoes, gadgets, clothes, –they thought were original?

Fake products are usually smuggled and unfortunately, they abound in the country. Smuggled goods don’t only fool consumers like us but they also make the government lose billions of revenues and hurt the country’s manufacturing sector.

Earlier this week, President Ferdinance Marcos Jr. vowed to fight smuggling, elated the manufacturing sector represented by the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI).

Infact, the FPI leadership lauded the President for spotlighting the country’s smuggling problem and vowing to file charges against smugglers during his second SONA.

Marcos is the only president in recent memory to highlight the economic damage caused by unmitigated smuggling during his SONA, and who has categorically committed to pursue smugglers, FPI chairperson Jesus Arranza said recently.

“We are happy, it is the right move. No matter how hard we try to entice investments, as long as there are holes (smuggling) that remain unplugged, the government and businesses will keep on losing money,” he said.

The business leader pointed out recent studies which indicate that, every year, as much as PHP2.3 trillion worth of goods enter the country through outright smuggling or technical smuggling, which translates to an estimated PHP250 billion in revenue losses to the government.

Apart from depriving the state of much-needed income, he said rampant smuggling also floods the country with cheap and often sub-standard goods, which directly compete with local manufacturers.

FPI is touted as the voice of the Philippine manufacturing sector, whose membership includes food and beverage, automotive, textiles, steel, construction materials, and energy companies, among others.

Arranza cited as an example the decline of the local tire manufacturing industry.

“Before (1970s to the early 2000s) we had as many as six tire manufacturers operating here. But because of smuggled tires from China, which can be sold cheap because they (importers) don’t pay taxes, five of our companies closed down. They transferred their operations abroad, and many (Filipinos) lost their jobs” he lamented.

He added that the lone tire manufacturer still operating in the Philippines had to transfer to an eco-zone to enjoy government perks to remain viable.

Arranza added that the FPI is willing to volunteer its resources to help the Marcos administration identify smugglers, and in doing so, save its members from further losses due to smuggling.

He noted that if the Bureau of Customs (BOC) can be directed to disclose to FPI the contents of vessels’ inward foreign manifests (log book of inbound cargo ships), it could easily point out the red flags in suspicious shipments.

I think BOC can lend a hand to FPI on this matter.

**

For comments, please call or text 09569012811 or email [email protected]