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Plant and plant product exporters may now apply for phytosanitary certificates online following the relaunch of the Bureau of Plant Industry’s ePhyto system on October 19
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System provider InterCommerce Network Services Inc. has opened the registration of accounts so users can access the ePhyto system
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Printing of the certificates will still be at the plant quarantine stations of BPI pending the implementation of electronic exchange of these certificates with importing countries
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The ePhyto system is expected to cut clearance time and costs while provide efficiencies to both stakeholders and the government
Exporters of plant and plant products may now apply for phytosanitary certificates online following the relaunch of the Bureau of Plant Industry’s automated system on October 19.
The electronic phytosanitary (ePhyto) system (ephyto.intercommerce.com.ph) allows exporters to apply for ePhyto certificates online and enable the Philippines to exchange these certificates with other trading countries and eventually do away with paper versions.
An ePhyto certificate is the electronic equivalent of the paper phyto certificate and guarantees that a plant or plant product for export is free from pests and diseases, and conforms with other phytosanitary requirements of the importing country.
BPI, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, initiated the automation of application for the certificates in 2018, but suspended its enforcement due to the pandemic and to allow further enhancements to the system based on inputs from the regions.
The implementation of the ePhyto system complies with the global initiative under the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), a multilateral treaty deposited with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and recognized by the World Trade Organization, of which the Philippines is a member. It also complies with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
Since 2011, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures, which oversees implementation of the IPPC, has been encouraging a shift to electronic certification.
BPI’s ePhyto system provider, InterCommerce Network Services Inc. (INS), had opened the registration of accounts early on so users can access the ePhyto system.
INS president Francis Norman Lopez told PortCalls in a Viber message that for now, printing of the certificates will still be at the plant quarantine stations of BPI, as printed certificates are still being required by importing countries and pending the implementation of electronic exchange of certificates with them.
During the launch, Lopez said BPI is already receiving e-Phyto certificates from select countries, including Australia, Argentina, Chile, Denmark, France, New Zealand, and Panama. He said the bureau expects to also receive ePhytos from Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries.
For the second phase of the ePhyto system, BPI will be able to send ePhytos electronically to importing countries via the IPPC ePhyto Hub, a centralized global system that can receive ePhyto certificates from exporting countries, or through the ASEAN Single Window, a regional electronic platform that enables electronic exchange of border trade-related documents among member states.
Lopez said the target is to fully automate the process and allow the electronic submission of the certificates to importing countries.
BPI officer-in-charge director Gerald Glenn Panganiban said at the relaunch that glitches may be expected during implementation, but added that BPI will remain open to feedbacks from stakeholders to make the process “if not perfect, close to perfect.”
Lopez said the ePhyto system eliminates physical submission of applications and processing of application can be completed in just half a day.
Since the system is online, traders can file applications and schedule inspections anytime and anywhere, as long as there is internet connection.
This also saves exporters time and money, compared with the current process where they have to go personally to BPI offices to apply, wait for an inspection schedule, then return to the office to get their phytosanitary certificate.
For the government, the automated system is expected to result in efficiencies, more informed decisions and effective regulations and procedures, as well as better compliance by stakeholders.
Panganiban had said earlier that once fully implemented, the ePhyto system will facilitate the issuance of phytosanitary certificates and reduce, if not eliminate, use of fraudulent certificates, as IPPC provides a standard format and contents all participating countries must follow.
Panganiban said that since the ePhyto system promotes swiftness and efficiency, BPI can then put its resources where they matter the most, such as in decision making, risk management, and responding faster to emergencies.
The ePhyto system also provides a central database for the certificates and allows BPI to generate reports and audit exporters’ compliance and performance easily. The plant bureau can also use the database to hold its deputized officers accountable.
A multibillion-dollar industry, the Philippine plant industry’s main exports include bananas, pineapples, mango, and coconuts, among other plants, said Panganiban. – Roumina Pablo
