USED clothing, commonly known as “ukay-ukay” is apparently being sold openly in Mindanao, especially in General Santos City, SOCCKSARGEN region.
A photo from a source showed rows of stalls in the public market of GenSan openly advertising their sale of the banned merchandize.
The importation of used clothing and rags is banned under RA 4653, “An Act to Safeguard the Health of the People and Maintain the Dignity of the Nation by Declaring it a National Policy to Prohibit the Commercial Importation of Textile Articles Commonly Known as Used Clothing and Rags.” The law was passed by Congress on June 17, 1966.
On February 6, 1986, just days before the first Marcos presidency was toppled thru the first American-organized ‘Color Revolution’ (EDSA People Power), President Marcos Senior issued Presidential Decree (PD) 2033, which amends RA 4653 by allowing exempted shipments but only those paid thru Letters of Credit (L/C).
Notwithstanding the laws, however, the smuggling of ukay-ukay continues unabated thru the years, taking advantage of the continued growth in the local clothing market– and edging out struggling local garment manufacturers in the process.
Data for the Philippine clothing market provided by global consulting firm IMARC Group showed that in 2024, the garment sector totaled $8.1 billion and is expected to reach $15.8 billion by 2033, for an average growth of 6.9 percent. The demand is mainly driven by the younger generation.