Under the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme with the support of United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the Bureau of Customs (BOC), in collaboration with WCO Customs Experts, successfully convened a five-day mission on the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program from February 17-21, 2025.

This initiative funded by UK’s HRMC was focused on sharing best practices, aligning the Philippines’ AEO framework with international standards, and enhancing trade facilitation measures to ensure secured and efficient global supply chains.

The mission aligns with President Marcos Jr.’s commitment to modernizing customs and enhancing trade competitiveness. His administration continuously prioritizes global partnerships to improve risk management, expedite clearance, and strengthen trade facilitation. This partnership with the WCO and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) reflects the government’s dedication to implementing global best practices in customs administration.

BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, in his opening remarks, highlighted the agency’s unwavering commitment to strengthening trade facilitation and regulatory compliance, saying, “I wish to emphasize that enhancing stakeholder compliance through our AEO Program is expressed under our 5-Point Priority Program. This Mission supports this priority as it will help evaluate our AEO Program and develop the skills of our AEO Officers, thereby improving our services to the public.”

“The presence of our experts here, who traveled halfway around the world, highlights our shared vision of strengthening customs-to-business partnerships and enhancing global trade efficiency,” Commissioner Rubio added.

Key BOC officials also graced the event including, Deputy Commissioner for the Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group, Atty. Vener Baquiran, BOC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport District Collector Atty. Yasmin O. Mapa, Export Coordination Chief and AEO Interim Office Head, Atty. Jenny P. Diokno, and the Head of the External Affairs Office Coll. Rechilda Oquias.

Deputy Commissioner Baquiran stressed the significance of strengthening and expanding the AEO Program: “As we undertake to proactively promote the AEO Program, this Mission could not have come at a better time. To our AEO experts, the knowledge you will impart will certainly aid us in our objective to refine the Philippine AEO Program and its accreditation criteria levels as we extend our AEO program benefits to our stakeholders.”

The mission featured key discussions led by WCO experts Ms. Pelisa Matyumza, Ms. Trudy Rutland, and Ms. Nozomi Ijima, along with Mr. Shigeaki Katsu from JICA. Sessions explored the AEO Program’s strategic intent, global frameworks, supply chain security, risk management, and expansion strategies to include a wider range of stakeholders. The event also provided an opportunity to review and enhance of the BOC’s AEO Manual, integrating global best practice recommendations.

The program also served as a venue for a meaningful exchange of insights, where Atty. Diokno, shared key learnings from Japan’s AEO framework and the significant benefits the Philippine customs has gained through JICA’s technical assistance in enhancing trade facilitation and security measures.

This intensive five-day engagement reinforced the BOC’s commitment to continuous engagement with stakeholders to refine policies, strengthen security measures, and ensure that the AEO framework contributes to a more efficient and resilient trade environment. The BOC extends its gratitude to the WCO, JICA, and industry partners for their invaluable contributions to this initiative, marking another step forward in the country’s trade facilitation efforts.

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