Quezon City | January 15, 2026 – The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), in coordination with the Cybersecurity Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), conducted a series of entrapment operations against illegal online sellers of fertilizers and pesticide products in Quezon City.

The coordinated by-bust operations were carried out in several establishments located along Mindanao Avenue, Cubao, and Quezon City Circle, following weeks of cyber-monitoring and validation of online transactions involving unregistered and illegally marketed agricultural inputs.

The operation resulted in the confiscation of 163 fertilizer products and 113 pesticide products amounting to Php 175,000 without the required FPA license to operate.

FPA Executive Director Glenn Estrada lauded the strong inter-agency collaboration that led to the successful operations, noting that it reflects a whole-of-government approach in safeguarding farmers and the public from unsafe, unregulated agricultural inputs.

“This operation shows that when government agencies work together, we can effectively protect our farmers, consumers, and the environment from the dangers posed by illegal fertilizers and pesticides being sold online,” Estrada said. “We will not allow unscrupulous sellers to undermine our regulatory system and endanger agricultural productivity and public safety.”

Estrada also warned that more intensified entrapment operations will be conducted throughout the year as part of FPA’s stepped-up enforcement against online sellers who violate Presidential Decree No. 1144 (PD 1144) and other related laws, rules, and regulations governing the registration, distribution, and sale of fertilizers and pesticides.

“This is only the beginning. We are sending a clear message to online sellers, handlers, and distributors: comply with FPA regulations or face the full force of the law,” he added.

The operations form part of FPA’s newly launched enforcement campaign dubbed “Oplan Bistados” (Bantay Istrikto sa Teknolohiyang Abono at Pestisidyo sa Online Selling), which aims to strengthen the monitoring, investigation, and prosecution of illegal online trading of agricultural inputs.

Under Oplan Bistados, FPA, together with DICT-CICC and the PNP, will continue to track suspicious online activities, conduct cyber-surveillance, and undertake on-the-ground enforcement actions to ensure that only FPA-registered, properly labeled, and safe fertilizers and pesticides are sold to the public.

The FPA reminds farmers and buyers to purchase fertilizers and pesticides only from FPA-licensed dealers and to verify product registration and name of sellers and distributors through the FPA website to avoid unsafe, fake, or substandard products that may harm crops, human health, and the environment.

Writer: FPA Information Section

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Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) Online ISSN: 2815-1674
Published by the FPA Information and Communications Team