DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 13 October) — For nearly 20 years, Lita, a vendor along a main street in Davao City, has been earning a living selling goods to support her family, including her youngest child in Grade 11. At her modest stall outside an old building, she sells noodles, coffee, sardines, juice, and cigarettes—both government-regulated brands and smuggled ones like Bosqu, Walton, and Greenhill, reportedly from Malaysia and Indonesia.
With rising cigarette prices, many customers opt for cheaper smuggled brands at P5 per stick, half the price of regulated brands like Marlboro. “People buy what they can afford, even during a crisis,” Lita said. However, stricter enforcement has made restocking harder, with prices rising from P50 to P75 per pack.
On October 7, the Davao City Council proposed an investigation into the rampant sale of smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes, citing a Kantar 2024 survey showing Mindanao accounts for 50% of illicit tobacco sales nationwide. Eight out of 10 cigarettes sold in some areas are illegal, with Davao City at 54% illicit incidence. Barangays like Maa (88%) and Mintal (81%) are hotspots.
Councilor Rachel Zozobrado warned that counterfeit cigarettes, lacking health warnings and tax stamps, pose greater health risks and deprive the government of excise taxes funding Universal Health Care. She urged stricter enforcement to protect public health and uphold Davao’s anti-smoking legacy.
Authorities have seized smuggled goods, including P8.62 million worth of cigarettes in July 2025. The Coast Guard is intensifying patrols, though smugglers may also use land routes. “Every illegal stick sold is a theft from public health,” Zozobrado said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
