The national government’s fiscal deficit reached ₱786.8 billion in the first half of the year, widening from the ₱765.5 billion shortfall recorded in the same period in 2025 as state spending outpaced revenue growth. Despite the year-on-year increase, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) noted in...
Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno has ordered to maintain round-the-clock surveillance in a bid to prevent illicit activities concerning seized cigarettes particularly at Manila and Cebu ports. Formalized in a memorandum dated July 20, the directive outlines an urgent...
Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno has ordered officials of the country ’s second largest revenue agency to intensify the crackdown on all forms of smuggling, with particular focus on the illegal trade in oil and agricultural products. “You are hereby directed to further...
Cabinet-level interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) has lowered the revenue goal for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for this year but raised the target for the Bureau of Customs (BOC), in tandem with the downgraded economic growth outlook. According to data disclosed by...
Nearly ₱1 billion worth of illegal cigarettes concealed in 25 container vans have been intercepted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Mandaue City, Cebu on Thursday, July 2, marking the country’s second-largest tax collection agency’s major seizures under its intensified campaign against...
Today’s piece is a reflection on the fuel marking program (FMP), a topic that is the current buzz in business circles and one close to my heart as a chemist by education and a nosy journalist by profession. That’s right, Virginia, I’m joining the fray. I will try to go deep into the...
To address concerns over electronic waste entering Port of Subic, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has called for a meeting with various government agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). In a statement on Saturday, June 27, the BOC said the meeting follows public...
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...
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...
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...
