BOC welcomes UNODC, SEA officials on hazardous waste management study tour

On Nov 14, 2024

FOR POSTERITY. MICP District Collector Rizalino Jose Torralba, poses (center) joins the delegates from UNDOC and customs delegates from Southeast Asia, during the groups' study tour in the Philippines on hazardous waste management (photo credit: BOC-PIAD).

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) under Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio opened its doors to experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNDOC) and customs officials from Southeast Asia during their study tour on hazardous waste management last month.

Manila International Container Port (MICP) district collector Rizalino Jose C. Torralba and Port of Manila (POM) district collector Alexander Gerard E. Alviar welcomed the delegation as they shared their respective ports’ accomplishments and the agency’s ongoing initiatives in ensuring the proper handling of waste and other regulated products.

The study tour is under the Passenger and Cargo Control Programme of the UNODC and was held from October 28 to October 30.

UNODC Regional Coordinator for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Thomas Dixon, alongside Technical Expert John Dourlay, reaffirmed the UNODC’s commitment in empowering member states to combat waste trafficking through enhanced technical capacity and cross-border cooperation.

The study also engaged customs representatives from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, alongside BOC personnel, in a series of focused discussions on best practices in hazardous waste management.

Key segments included a firsthand look at seized containers of hazardous waste, a walkthrough of the Customs Operations Center (COC) headed Atty. Julito Doria.

Atty. Geoffrey De Vera, Deputy Collector for Assessment at the Port of Clark and Overall Coordinator of the Port Control Office (PCO) Philippines, also highlighted the BOC’s latest initiatives to combat waste trafficking.

Discussions also covered the BOC’s ‘Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargoes System’ (ETCCS) and other border security measures essential to enhancing the Philippines’ hazardous waste control capabilities.