The Bureau of Customs (BOC) participated in the 37th meeting of the ASEAN Customs Enforcement and Compliance Working Group (CECWG), held from 26-28 February 2025 in Phuket, Thailand.

In a joint inspection conducted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) through Port of Clark and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), authorities intercepted 2.09 kilograms of high-grade marijuana with an estimated street value of P1,890,000.00. The parcel arrived from Sacramento, USA, and was bound for Surigao del Norte.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized over 112,000 unregistered vape products misdeclared as insulated cups at the Port of Manila (POM). BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, alongside Deputy Commissioner for the Enforcement Group, Atty. Teddy Sandy S. Raval, Port of Manila District Collector Alexander Gerard E. Alviar, Acting Director of the Enforcement and Security Service Isabelo S. Tibayan III, and representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry – Office of Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products (DTI-OSMV), led the inspection of the subject shipments on March 18, 2025.

In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to intensify border security and combat smuggling, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), through the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP), uncovered undocumented disposable vapes, vape pods, and various general merchandise valued at over PHP 1.18 billion in Valenzuela City.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), led by Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, successfully hosted the 3rd Customs Industry Consultative and Advisory Council (CICAC) General Assembly and celebrated its 1st Founding Anniversary on March 14, 2025. The event focused on advancing key initiatives, improving customs operations, refining trade processes, and strengthening collaboration between the government and the private sector.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has been recognized by ZTE Philippines Inc. for its outstanding service in expediting customs clearance, reaffirming its commitment to trade facilitation, efficiency, and professionalism.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio have been recognized with the Gawad Bayanihan sa Pamumuhunan award for their exceptional contributions to investment facilitation. The award highlights the BOC’s success in streamlining customs processes and expediting permits and licenses for strategic investments, in line with Executive Order No. 18 (EO 18) on Green Lanes.

In line with its mission to intensify the crackdown on illicit trade and uphold regulatory compliance, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), through the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP), conducted a targeted inspection on March 11, 2025, at warehouses in Malabon. The operation led to the seizure of various illicit goods, with an estimated market value of ₱1.2 billion.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) reaffirmed its commitment to digitalizing trade processes at the recent Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Conference (APTFC), themed “Integrating Technologies for Sustainable Trade Facilitation.” The event, jointly organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), at the ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines, brought together key stakeholders in trade facilitation and technological innovations.

The Special Session of the Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee (PTFC), chaired by Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary Charlito Martin R. Mendoza, with Assistant Secretary Dakila Elteen Napao and Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port Operations Service (POS) Director Geniefelle P. Lagmay, convened on March 6, 2025, to discuss key initiatives on the digitalization of cross-border trade and ongoing trade facilitation reforms. The session brought together PTFC members to review ongoing efforts aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency, and compliance in international trade operations.