BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, together with Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Carlos Carag, BOC Port of Subic District Collector Noel Estanislao, and SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Ronnie Yambao, joins members of the media during the inspection and opening of four container vans intercepted by the Bureau of Customs at the Port of Subic. The shipment was found to contain agricultural products misdeclared as processed food items, highlighting the agency’s intensified enforcement efforts against smuggling and its continued commitment to border protection and public safety.
By: Alex Q. Galang
Subic Bay Freeport – In furtherance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that only safe and compliant products are sold in local markets, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), under the leadership of Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, continues to tighten border control measures, blocking ₱47.436 million worth of various frozen and processed food products at the Port of Subic.
According to the Commissioner, the BOC will consistently push toward strengthening its intelligence-driven enforcement measures, as these remain a key factor in dismantling agricultural smuggling networks that undermine border security and public safety.
The operation stemmed from actionable intelligence received by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) regarding shipments containing misdeclared agricultural products, which triggered the issuance of Alert Orders.
Upon detecting subsequent incoming shipments from China bearing the same declared description, Pre-Lodgement Control Orders (PLCOs) were likewise issued. To verify the contents of the cargoes, a 100% physical examination was conducted, yielding 3,192 cartons of assorted food products—including frozen beef, pork, chicken, duck, and other pastry and seafood items, instead of the declared “assorted shabu-shabu balls.”
On 27 March 2026, the confiscated products were presented to the media during an inspection led by Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, alongside Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Carlos Carag and key Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials, underscoring strong inter-agency cooperation and the agency’s continued commitment to transparency in enforcement operations.
District Collector Noel Estanislao stated that the Port of Subic will further intensify its enforcement efforts in securing the country’s borders against agricultural smuggling and other illicit trade activities.
The subject shipments constitute violations of Sections 1400 and 118 (e), in relation to Sections 117 and 1113 (f), (l)(4), and (l)(5) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), Republic Act No. 9711 (Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009), and Republic Act No. 10611 (Food Safety Act of 2013).
This operation is a testament to the BOC’s consistent and unwavering commitment to safeguarding the public from unsafe and non-compliant products, while ensuring the protection of lawful government revenues, as part of its reform agenda through the Integrity, Accountability, and Modernization (IAM) Program.