The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) played a pivotal role in the 34th Meeting of the World Customs Organization Asia/Pacific (WCO A/P) Regional Contact Points (RCP) in Hong Kong, China from October 21 to October 25, 2024.
Since assuming the vice-chairpersonship of the WCO A/P in July this year, Hong Kong Customs has hosted its first significant regional gathering. Hong Kong Customs Commissioner and current Asia/Pacific vice-chairperson (APVC) Louise HO Pui-Shan enthusiastically opened the meeting to allow all delegations to discuss and suggest global policies and initiatives for the world customs community.
The meeting assembled more than 70 representatives from A/P customs administrations including Philippine Customs delegation headed by Kristin May L. Vista, Assistant Head of External Affairs Office (EAO) and Kyle Danielle V. Ablat, EAO.
The meeting was attended by WCO’s regional entities such as the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) A/P, Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) A/P, and Regional Private Sector Group (RPSG) A/P that witnessed a series of presentations and discussions focusing on A/P customs regional concerns. To promote cooperation and information exchange among A/P members, participants tackled various customs initiatives, enforcement tactics, and training experiences from multiple viewpoints.
The WCO Secretariat, represented by Tetsuo Mizunuma, Regional Development Manager in the Asia Pacific Region, was also present at the meeting. Mizunuma reported on the WCO policies and initiatives and the Strategic Plan 2022-2025.
The WCO commended Philippine Customs for having the most registered users in the region of the WCO CliKC! The E-Learning platform is a testament to our commitment to continuous learning and development. The WCO also encouraged other Members to follow our lead and use this platform for free Customs e-Learning courses.
The Philippines also participated in the Welcome Reception and Official Dinner, Customs Facilities Tour at the Customs Canine Force (CCF) in Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Dog Base and Cargo/Passenger Clearance Facilities at the HZMB Control Point, and Excursion at the Hong Kong Palace Museum as prepared by the Hong Kong Customs.
Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio underscored the Bureau of Customs’ significant role in the 34th WCO A/P Regional Contact Points Meeting. He highlighted how our active participation has been instrumental in shaping the direction of customs operations across our region, fostering meaningful advancements within the global customs framework, and bolstering regional alliances.