The Bureau of Customs – Intelligence Group (BOC-IG) took a significant step towards enhancing inter-agency coordination and border security by hosting its 3rd Inter-Agency Intelligence Summit in Cebu on May 16, 2024. This event brought together law enforcement counterparts from the Visayas, creating a platform for exchanging best practices and intelligence strategies.

BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio formally opened the Summit with an address that underscored the crucial role of inter-agency cooperation for successful border control: “I am certain that this Summit will serve as a platform for fruitful discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking among border security professionals and experts. In this regard, let us challenge ourselves to rise to the hurdles before us and work shoulder-to-shoulder in safeguarding our frontiers, all while building a safer homeland for the Filipino people.”

In his keynote, Guest of Honor Undersecretary Terrence C. Calatrava of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas reiterated the government’s commitment to improve customs security enforcement by “working together seamlessly, leveraging our respective expertise and resources to address the complex challenges” of defending against smuggling.

“By joining forces with the Bureau of Customs, we are sending a clear message that we are committed to tackling this issue head-on, and together, we will prevail,” Undersecretary Calatrava emphasized.

The Summit’s agenda was comprehensive, covering a range of topics that are crucial to border security. These included insights on customs jurisdictional control, case build-up and prosecution, intelligence’s role in border management, inter-agency collaboration, and addressing new challenges in drug interdiction.

In closing, Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax R. Uy expressed heartfelt gratitude to all the participants for their active involvement and valuable contributions, emphasizing their indispensable role in enhancing national security and border integrity. Deputy Commissioner Uy also reiterated the importance of continued collaboration among intel agents across government agencies, inspiring a sense of shared responsibility and commitment.