With the Bureau of Customs (BOC) contributing the largest share in the seizure of nearly ₱41-billion worth of counterfeit goods, the agency has vowed to intensify its crackdown on the trade of fake products to protect consumers and legitimate businesses.

The BOC, the country’s second-largest revenue collection agency, accounted for 85 percent of total seizures conducted by the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) last year.

In particular, the agency confiscated counterfeit goods amounting to ₱34.698 billion out of the ₱40.99 billion total recorded by NCIPR—a record-breaking figure, according to the BOC.

As a result, the BOC received recognition from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) “for leading the country in intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement.”

One of the agency’s largest operations took place in Binondo, Manila, where it seized over ₱11-billion worth of counterfeit luxury goods in a single raid.

For the first four months of 2025, the BOC has already seized ₱15.8-billion worth of counterfeit goods. This effort was carried out in close coordination with global brand representatives and IPR enforcement partners.

“The BOC has vowed to intensify these efforts,” the agency said.

“We are not letting up. We will continue to act decisively against counterfeit trade to protect consumers and legitimate businesses,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said.

Rubio emphasized that protecting intellectual property rights is key to creating a “fair, secure, and investor-friendly trade environment.”

He added that the recent award was a recognition of the agency’s “firm resolve to crack down on counterfeit goods,” as it recorded the highest number of counterfeit seizures.

The recognition was given during the 2025 Gawad Yamang Isip Awards, held at the 191st NCIPR regular meeting.

The 15-member NCIPR continues to strengthen laws and inter-agency cooperation to curb the entry and sale of pirated goods in the country.