The Bureau of Customs (BOC), through its Project Team for Strengthened Trade Facilitation Capacity Building, convened the Validation and Workshop on the proposed Integrated Risk Management System (IRM) Blueprint on December 9 in Pasay City.
Jemky Flor Sacar, chief of the BOC Risk Management Office (RMO), stressed the importance of establishing a robust approach to risk governance and a culture of risk identification and management shared by all authorized key officials.
Within the framework of the ARISE Plus Philippines Project, the BOC is supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint United Nations (UN)/World Trade Organization (WTO) agency, in this initiative.
The project is also in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to comply with existing international trade facilitation commitments and evolving requirements, such as Integrated Risk Management, to improve the efficiency of border control and compliance in facilitating international trade.
Dennis Pantastico, the national expert for AEO and IRM, said that effective risk governance demands ethical management practices, including monitoring and complete reporting strategies within a single storage of truth principle.
Representatives from the BOC Risk Management Office (RMO) were trained to build a modern, integrated risk management and compliance systems workforce that allows for innovation and responsible risk-taking at the border.
Other representatives came from the DTI Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO), DTI Bureau of International Trade Relations (BITR), Optical Media Board (OMB), Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
The workshop included a breakout session comprising the three core units of the BOC RMO, namely the Strategic Assessment Unit (SAU), the Research and Analysis Unit (RAU), and the Operational Risk Assessment Unit (ORAU).
It provided participants with an in-depth discussion on significant risk areas and identified deficiencies and technical challenges in developing a dynamic and effective Integrated Risk Management System (IRM) Blueprint.
Some key takeaways from the workshop include using positive reinforcement in recognizing those who are compliant, policy recommendations for integrating the BOC’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) and e-Commerce Programs on risk management processes, and the realization of significant benefits through inter-agency data sharing.
Aligned with the 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz leads the BOC to pursue trade facilitation initiatives aimed at economic development and innovation.
The initiatives ensure that Customs officials, as well as stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, have access to the necessary assistance and information on new business processes and rules.#
