In line with the strengthened campaign of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) against illegal drugs, BOC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), apprehended a passenger found with cocaine concealed inside her luggage.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), Sub-Port of Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) unveils its new building at the Phividec Industrial Estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, on August 22, 2023. With the new facility, MCT Subport aims to increase its revenue contribution as well as improve its services to stakeholders.

Following the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to protect the country’s agricultural assets through intensified border security, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday, August 24, 2023, found an estimated P505 million worth of suspected smuggled imported rice in various warehouses in Bulacan province.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will receive support from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to facilitate the implementation of its ongoing and future modernization projects.

In a meeting held on August 17, 2023, BOC welcomed Mr. Katsu Shigeaki, Customs Expert from JICA. Thereat, Shigeaki reaffirms JICA’s commitment to support the BOC’s administration in carrying out its programs and initiatives.

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu under the leadership of its District Collector, Atty. Ricardo Uy Morales II, CESE, once again reaffirmed its pivotal role in promoting economic growth and stability by actively participating in the Philippine Economic Briefing held last 11 August 2023 at the Marco Polo Plaza in Cebu City.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Port of Iloilo, led by District Collector Giovanni N. Imaysay together with Deputy Collector for Operations, Ms. Luvizminda D. Aragon, and the members of the Auction and Cargo Disposal Unit, successfully turned over the seized and forfeited casino poker chips to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Region VI, represented by PAGCOR Treasury Officer, Mr. Arturo Badilla Jr., on August 16, 2023, at the Iloilo Customhouse Building, Iloilo City.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Subport of Dumaguete successfully hosted on August 2, 2023 the first-ever Stakeholders’ Summit on Containerization at the Philippine Ports Authority’s Port Operations Building in Dumaguete City.

It was attended by the City Mayor Felipe “Ipe” Remollo, City Administrator Lani Ramon, other local government leaders, businessmen, importers, exporters, the arrastre/port operators, trucking and shipping lines, with the Philippine Ports Authority represented by the PMO-NOS Port Manager, Atty. Sarah R. Mijares.

The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) played an active role in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Third Senior Officials’ Meeting and related gatherings held in Seattle, Washington, United States of America last August 1-5, 2023.

APEC, a consortium comprising 21 member economies, including global giants such as the United States, China, Russia, Japan, Australia, and the ten nations constituting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was established in 1989 with the primary aim of promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation across international borders.

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte — In a momentous ceremony, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, joined by Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Marcos-Manotoc, unveiled the new Sub-Port of Laoag Office in Laoag International Airport on August 8, 2023. This landmark occasion signifies a significant leap forward in enhancing BOC services within the region.

The Bureau of Customs-Legazpi hosted a forum on containerized shipments with Regional Container Lines (RCL) on August 4, 2023 as it pushes the maiden voyage of containerized vessels in the Bicol Region.