Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said that the agency will remain committed to campaigning against illegal trade and smuggling.

Rubio stated this following the turnover of P42 million worth of rice to selected government agencies and beneficiaries.

"The BOC treats this matter with the utmost urgency, as it is crucial not only for our farmers but also for all Filipinos who work diligently to put food on the table. That's why the BOC will relentlessly curb these illegal activities,” the BOC chief said in a statement.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. led the distribution of over 42,180 sacks of rice on Tuesday, Sept. 19, to select beneficiaries in Zamboanga City and the town of Tungawan in Zamboanga Sibugay.

BOC earlier seized the 42,180 sacks of rice at the Port of Zamboanga after the owner failed to submit the legal documents to prove that they paid the correct duties and taxes due.

The remaining stocks will be distributed across the country once the Department of Social Welfare and Development has identified areas where rice supply is most needed, the Customs said.

The chief executive, through Executive Order No. 39-2023, assigned to BOC the identification and padlocking of warehouses suspected of storing smuggled rice.

While the Customs was instructed to work with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to address unwarranted price increases and supply shortage manipulation.

The BOC recently signed an agreement with DTI to strengthen trade policy in the country, which encompasses border control, trade facilitation, and lawful revenue collection.

Meanwhile, it recently said that it collected over ₱75.6 billion in August, which is higher than the Development Budget Coordination Committee’s target for the month.