The Philippines’ more-than-three-decade-old devolution program remains incomplete, with local government units (LGUs) and national agencies continuing to share responsibilities for many basic services despite the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC), according to state-run policy think tank...
Combined forces from various government agencies intercepted an estimated P1.7 billion worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes in a joint operation in Tondo, Manila, it was announced on Tuesday, June 23. Twenty-three containers out of 24 tracked were seized by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG),...
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has overhauled its export tracking framework for special economic zones and free ports, establishing an automated integration system that threatens strict physical inspections for non-compliant shippers and introduces potential liability for state investment promotion...
The Department of Finance (DOF) has begun negotiations with Switzerland-based SICPA SA for a proposed ₱13.44-billion fuel marking program extension beyond the expiration of the current contract in mid-2026, ensuring the continuation of a key anti-smuggling initiative that has been in place since...
Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno has ordered all district collectors to mandatorily report to the Customs Operations Center (CoC) all high-stakes activities, including intrusive inspections, serving of legal warrants, and handling of flagged cargo. To uphold centralized...
A congressman from up north is calling for an intensified campaign against the illicit tobacco trade, which he says continues to cost the government billions in foregone revenue. According to Abra lone district Rep. JB Bernos, such continued leakage of revenue hampers the delivery of much-needed...
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities are investigating to determine ownership of some P14.1-million worth of smuggled cigarettes abandoned in Barangay Sangali in this city, the police said Monday. In a report, the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) said the smuggled cigarettes were recovered on Sunday...
The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) is pushing for reforms to make the new policy of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which provides temporary relief to foreign cable-laying and repair vessels, more responsive to business demands. In a statement on Friday, May 29, AmCham...
Here is the copy-edited version of the article. The tone remains objective, journalistic, and formal, but the flow has been tightened, punctuation corrected (including missing period at the end of the lead), and repetitive phrasing streamlined. BOC Seizes ₱841-M Worth of Counterfeit Luxury Goods...
The national government’s (NG) usual April budget surplus shrank by more than half this year after the annual income tax returns (AITRs) filing and payment deadline was extended by one month due to the national energy emergency, although revenues were partly supported by millions of pesos in...
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued new rules streamlining the temporary admission of foreign cable-laying and repair vessels, as the government moves to facilitate submarine cable and offshore energy projects deemed critical to the country’s digital and energy infrastructure. Under the...
As the Bureau of Customs (BOC) targets the rollout of a new top importers office (TIO) by the third quarter of 2026, Manila Bulletin has learned that the bureau is eyeing up to 2,000 major importers that account for nearly three-fourths of annual revenues of the country ’s second largest...
