Philippine Customs Lab re-establishment sought

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is partnering with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to re-establish the Philippine Customs Laboratory. 

The laboratory, which suffered from obsolete equipment, would serve as a deterrent against technical smuggling. 

“The re-establishment of the Philippines Customs Laboratory is an opportunity to further enhance border security efforts, increase revenue collection and foster international cooperation in customs practices. This partnership with KOICA will contribute significantly to our vision of a modernized and credible Customs administration,” said BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio. 

The revival of the laboratory was discussed during the Capacity Building on Customs Laboratory Processes jointly organized by KOICA, the Korea International Cooperation Services, the Korea Central Customs Laboratory and the Korea Customs Service. 

The five-day program that took place on June 19 to 23 was part of the Korean government’s International Cooperation Program. 

The BOC said the laboratory would help them determine correct tariff classification and imposable duties on imports through accurate chemical analysis of products. 

The re-establishment of the laboratory is part of the BOC’s commitment to the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. — Louise Maureen Simeon, Pia Lee-Brago