The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is strengthening its capability to detect and prevent illegal hazardous waste shipments from entering the Philippines following a study visit to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where customs officials learned international best practices in cargo inspection and enforcement.
The initiative was conducted under the Passenger and Cargo Control Programme (PCCP) Waste Project Study Visit, organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The study visit focused on identifying high-risk shipments, addressing abandoned containers, and improving procedures for returning or re-exporting illegally transported waste materials.
Participants also observed container X-ray examinations and physical inspections of scrap materials at the Port of Rotterdam to gain practical knowledge of effective cargo monitoring and enforcement procedures.
The BOC was represented by Maria Luz Lite, overall coordinator of the Port Control Office, who will share the knowledge and practices gained from the visit with customs personnel assigned to Port Control Offices in Manila, Cebu, and Davao.
The initiative is part of the directives of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno to strengthen border protection, improve cargo profiling, and enhance coordination with government agencies and international partners.
Through the adoption of international inspection standards and improved enforcement procedures, the BOC aims to identify suspicious cargo
