KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato — The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) has filed a criminal complaint before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor against the owner of DQB Green Agricultural Products Trading for allegedly engaging in unauthorized manufacturing of regulated fertilizer products.
The complaint alleges violations of provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1144, the law creating the FPA under the Department of Agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. underscored the importance of enforcing fertilizer regulations to protect farmers, consumers, and the country’s food security.
“Illegal producers undermine food security by exposing farmers to substandard agricultural inputs that can reduce yields and incomes while posing potential risks to public health and the environment. We will continue pursuing violators to protect our farmers and the integrity of the country’s food production system,” Tiu Laurel said.
The complaint, filed by FPA Executive Director Glenn D.C. Estrada, stemmed from an inspection conducted at a facility in Barangay Saguing, Makilala, North Cotabato, where FPA alleged regulated manufacturing activities were being carried beyond the scope of the company’s license.
According to the FPA, DQB is licensed only as a national distributor, which authorizes the sale of registered fertilizer products to dealers, distributors, and retail outlets. The license does not authorize manufacturing, formulation, processing, bulk blending, or repacking, all of which require separate licenses and approvals.
During the inspection conducted on February 20, 2026 by the FPA Regional Field Unit XII, together with local agriculture and barangay officials, authorities allegedly found production equipment, packaging materials, and fertilizer bags bearing the label “TAKADA 14-14-14,” a product registered under another company, VALAP Inc.
The complaint further alleges that the facility used the “Spinning Palanggana” method, a manual fertilizer mixing process prohibited under FPA Memorandum Circular No. 2022-23 for failing to meet prescribed manufacturing and quality control standards.
The inspection was initiated after information received from the FPA Regional Field Unit XIII regarding failed laboratory test results involving fertilizer products supplied for a government procurement prompted regulators to verify the reported production site.
Following the inspection, the FPA issued a Show Cause Order directing DQB owner Quiara Fabian Baterina to explain the alleged violations. While the respondent expressed willingness to cooperate, the FPA said the submitted explanation did not refute the allegations of unauthorized manufacturing, unauthorized production of a registered product, or the use of the prohibited production method.
The FPA subsequently placed DQB’s licenses and product registrations under preventive suspension pending administrative proceedings.
“We will continue to pursue individuals and entities that circumvent our regulatory system. These regulations exist to ensure that only safe, properly registered, and quality agricultural inputs reach our farmers, and we will not hesitate to enforce the law against those who violate it,” Estrada said.
The complaint charges the respondent with alleged violations of Sections 8(a), 8(g), and 9 of Presidential Decree No. 1144, which regulate fertilizer manufacturing and distribution activities and penalize violations of FPA laws and regulations, imposing stiff fines and long prison terms.
