Zamboanga City — Acting upon President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s marching order for a more aggressive stance against smuggling, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), through the Port of Zamboanga, in coordination with the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company (Seaborne) of the Police Regional Office 9, intercepted a motorboat carrying alleged smuggled cigarettes in the vicinity waters of Sta. Cruz Island, Zamboanga City on April 13, 2025.

The delegates from the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC), led by Enforcement Deputy Commissioner Atty. Teddy S. Raval, participated in the World Customs Organization (WCO) Drug Enforcement Customs Expert Workshop held on 8-10 April 2025 in Seoul, South Korea.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), through its External Affairs Office (EAO) and the Port of Batangas, successfully hosted the 36th Meeting of the ASEAN Customs Capacity Building Working Group (CCBWG) in April 2025 in Tagaytay City.

In line with its core mandate to secure the country’s borders against smuggling, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) remains resolute in its mission to protect the domestic market from illicit goods that compromise public health and the integrity of local industries—particularly through the continued crackdown on unauthorized vape products.

The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) reaffirmed its dedication to enhancing customs processes and trade facilitation by actively participating in the 38th Meeting of the ASEAN Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation Working Group (CPTFWG), held on 03-05 March 2025 in Phuket, Thailand. The meeting brought together representatives from all ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat to discuss advancements in customs procedures, trade facilitation and regional economic cooperation.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Clark successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 994 grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride or “shabu,” with an estimated value of P6,759,200.00 in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency—Airport Interdiction Unit (PDEA-AIU). This joint effort once again demonstrated the BOC’s relentless drive in fortifying border security thru inter-agency collaboration in the fight against drug smuggling.

In furtherance of their shared goal to boost trade facilitation and economic growth, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Wednesday, April 10, 2025, focused on optimizing customs operations, encouraging investment inflows, and reinforcing strategic oversight of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

On April 10, 2025, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio led an inspection at the Port of Subic, where fourteen (14) 20-foot container vans of misdeclared sugar products from Vietnam—valued at approximately PhP28,728,000.00—were seized for violations of customs regulations and other pertinent legal provisions.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), under the leadership of Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, has updated and begun cascading the Integrity Action Plan (IAP) across all offices and collection districts. This strategic framework is designed to combat corruption, uphold ethical standards, and drive institutional reforms while ensuring compliance with international best practices.

In strong support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision to promote a secure country safe from the menace of illegal drugs, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Clark, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Airport Interdiction Unit (PDEA-AIU), intercepted a parcel containing Ecstasy tablets or “party drugs” cleverly concealed in boxes of gummy candies, along with several non-drug items such as Belgian waffle biscuits. The shipment, with an estimated standard value of PhP7,634,700.00, originated from Brussels, Belgium and was bound for Quezon City, Philippines.