Customs and TradeNews

Philippines BOC Enhances Risk Management Capabilities

In line with the Philippines Bureau of Customs (BOC) commitment on its mandate of securing the borders, BOC through the Risk Management Office (RMO) is steadfast in implementing and adopting measures to improve the Bureau’s risk management capabilities.

Along with these measures, RMO has successfully completed the fact-finding mission in close coordination with World Customs Organization and World Bank Group through virtual sessions. The mission aims to review, analyze, and provide report on the BOC’s risk management institutional arrangements, as well as methodologies and techniques used to manage risks. The WCO and WBG recommendations, through the mission, gear towards ensuring sustainability of risk management which are fundamental for the embedding of the risk management culture at strategic, tactical, and operational levels within customs administrations.

Further, RMO’s drafted Guidelines on the utilization of the National Customs Enforcement Network (NCEN) System of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the establishment of the NCEN Database under CMO 08-2021 officially took effect on February 8, 2021. RMO shall serve as the National Contact Point (NCP) for the Global CEN to increase intelligence sharing, as part of its mandate to maintain a database of all smuggling cases, seizures and offenses, suspicions, and related data of consignees, for risk assessment. NCEN is a system developed by the WCO to assist Customs administrations with the collection and storage of law-enforcement information on the national level with the additional capacity to exchange seizure or suspect information at regional and international level, while supporting the digitalization of Customs operational processes.

As of February 26, 2021, RMO has achieved completion in the updating of the NCEN database with seizure cases for 2020, as well as for the first months of 2021. Meanwhile, RMO is continuously uploading seizure data in the NCEN as necessary for efficient risk management.

This database shall be significant as an additional risk indicator for the Bureau of Customs available for the analysis of illicit trade. It is an important tool intensifying risk management, more precisely enabling targeting, profiling, and facilitating a structured investigation process. It is utilized in the Customs Operations Center while monitoring actual inspection of containerized goods, among others.

The Bureau of Customs, through the Risk Management Office assures the transacting public that it will continuously implement and adopt measures necessary to intensify the Bureau’s risk management capabilities in the bid to further boost border security along with the collection of lawful revenues.