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.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), Sub-Port of General Santos, successfully seized 374 reams of various cigarettes with an estimated value of Php 187,000.00 on July 29, 2023, at Purok 6, Bgy. Bangsi, Poblacion, Columbio, Sultan Kudarat.

The Bureau of Customs – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) has successfully passed its second Surveillance Audit for ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) certification. This achievement highlights BOC-NAIA’s dedication to efficiency and transformation within government service.

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio commended the agency’s Intelligence Group (IG), Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), and the X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) for their “significant breakthrough” in anti-smuggling operations in the country which resulted to the seizure of Php 30.86 billion worth of smuggled goods.

The Philippines has reaffirmed its dedication to digital and sustainable trade facilitation by attaining the second spot among Southeast Asian nations in the 2023 United Nations (UN) Global Survey. Climbing up from the third spot in the previous 2021 survey, this achievement underscores the country’s continuous progress in modernizing trade processes and achieving world-class customs administration.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has taken a significant step forward in assisting Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with their hard-earned balikbayan boxes through a strategic partnership with the Office of the President (OP) via the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio underscored the BOC’s relentless campaign to combat illicit tobacco trade during his presentation at the International Tobacco Agricultural Summit held on August 3, 2023, in Taguig City. Commissioner Rubio emphasized the adoption of digital and data-driven processes as a pivotal strategy to strengthen supply chain integrity and ensure fair competition within the tobacco industry.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) discovered an estimated Php 30 million worth of expired meat and other frozen goods during an inspection of a warehouse in Caloocan City last August 1, 2023.