In its commitment in facilitating secure trade, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), under the leadership of Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, has earned recognition for its promotion and timely implementation of the exchange of electronic documents through the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) regional platform. This acknowledgment took place during the 31st meeting of the ASEAN Single Window Steering Committee (ASWSC) held at the Diamond Hotel, Manila, from November 29 to December 1, 2023.

Mr. Lim Teck Leong, Deputy Director-General (DDG) of Singapore Customs and Chair of the 3-day ASWSC Meeting, conveyed appreciation to Commissioner Rubio for setting the tone, bringing together leaders from the 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS), fostering the exchange of viewpoints, and facilitating a robust discussion on the future work plans for the ASW.

Moreover, Kathy Tin, Deputy Office Director of the United States Mission to ASEAN praised the BOC for advancing its implementation of the electronic Phytosanitary (e-Phyto) Certificate System and ASW, saying, “I cannot stress to you enough how amazing the Bureau of Customs has been to work with. Not only are they appreciative, but they’re also very motivated to make sure that the e-Phyto and the ASW are sustainable. So, I wish the Bureau of Customs nothing but success in the new endeavor with ASW.”

Based on the outcome of the 31st ASWSC Meeting, the Philippines successfully passed the end-to-end test exchange of the e-Phyto Certificate with Indonesia. The Philippines and Indonesia will move in the conduct of the live parallel testing and aim to implement the live operation by the end of the year.

The 31st ASWSC Meeting served as the central coordination point for required actions at both national and regional levels, focusing on policy discussions to enhance the efficient implementation and operation of the ASW.

The ASWSC Meeting also considered the needs of the future development of the ASW under the 2023 and 2024 ASW Annual Priorities and Priority Economic Deliverables (PED) of ASEAN. This includes the expansion of the ASW to accommodate the exchange of additional trade-related documents with Dialogue Partners, including Australia, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, the United States, and New Zealand using the ASW regional platform.

Meanwhile, BOC Commissioner Rubio expressed appreciation for the uplifting messages from two notable speakers at the ASW Meeting. He affirmed that ” the BOC will carry on with their duty towards harmonizing, simplifying, and facilitating trade across the ASEAN region and will continue to work closely with our partners in the global customs community to streamline trade processes to deliver quality and efficient service for the stakeholders and citizens of our nations.”

Commissioner Rubio also reaffirmed the BOC’s continued dedication to leverage technology and digital innovation in pursuit of shared goals for the ASW. The BOC, acting on his directive, is continuing to innovate customs processes, with the recent launch of the eTravel System serving as evidence of this effort.

The 31st ASWSC Meeting was a collaborative effort led by the BOC External Affairs Office and the Port of Manila.