MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) NAIA on Tuesday, March 16, donated various educational gadgets and other school supplies to the Department of Education (DepEd) in support of the Department’s Bridge Program.

The donation of abandoned goods consists of flash drives, cellphones, 74 V7 monitors, 50 Fuji Xerox Multifunction Printers, Laptops , Routers, 14 ZTE Pocket WIFI, Lenovo Tablet, Computer Monitors, school bags, educational books, and children school shoes.
In his statement Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero expressed the continuing support of the BOC to the DepEd.

“We understand the needs of the students especially during this time that education is hindered by the threat of COVID-19. We will continue to support DepEd’s programs to provide quality education to our students,” he said.

For her part Secretary Briones thanked the Bureau for its continuous support to DepEd and the Department’s Bridge and Distant Learning Program.

She also shared that the first donation of BOC consisting of mobile phones and laptops are now being distributed to schools in far flung areas.

Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko on the other hand expressed hope that the devices and goods turned over to the DepEd would help address the digital gap and ensure continuous education, promoting the utmost welfare of learners and educators amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANILA, Philippines —  The Bureau of Customs (BOC) warns the public on possible influx of fake and smuggled coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines into the market as various pharmaceutical companies worldwide race for the formulation that would defeat the deadly virus.

The BOC cited an article released by Europol and the United States Department of Homeland Security which mentioned the great possibility that organized crime groups may exploit the highly lucrative COVID-19 vaccine market. 

The article also stated that in some countries, crime groups have already tried to market fake influenza vaccines which were not manufactured and proven to be falsified.

Thus, the BOC advises the public to remain vigilant and report the presence of suspected  smuggled and fake vaccines in the country. 

The BOC also warned the public of vaccines being sold online as these items may be fake and could cause serious health problems.

In recent announcements, the government reiterated that any drug or vaccine such as the COVID-19 vaccine must be registered and approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before being released into the market.

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs – Port of Davao intercepted a shipment of agarwood worth P1.72 million initially misdeclared as wood frames for souvenirs.

The operation halted the potential illegal export of the said shipment.

The package was discovered through x-ray scanning and physical examination and found to contain 671 pieces of Agarwood chips sought to be illegally exported from the country without the necessary permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The operation was made possible through the coordination of BOC – Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the PNP Aviation Security Group and the DENR Region XI.

The seized package shall be subjected to seizure and forfeiture proceedings for violation of Section 117 (Regulated Shipments), Section 1400 (Misdeclaration) and Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture), all of Republic Act No. 10863 (CMTA) in relation to Section 27 (i) [Illegal Transport] of Republic Act No. 9147 (Wild Life Act), and shall be turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Agarwood is classified under the “Appendix 2” of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and found only in the jungles in Mindanao and Visayas.

It is valued for its distinctive fragrance used to make incense, perfume, and medicinal products particularly in the Middle East and Asia, according to the DENR.