MANILA -- In line with the Memorandum of Agreement entered forged in December 2020 by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO) of the Department of Trade and Industry, Authority of the Freeport of Area Bataan, Clark Development Corporation, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the first virtual Commodity Identification Training (CIT) for the BOC commenced on July 30, 2021.

The signing of the MOA is in relation to the implementation of Republic Act No. 10697, or the “Strategic Trade Management Act” (STMA), which authorized the establishment of STMO to serve as the executive and technical agency of the national government for the establishment of the management systems for the trade in strategic goods.

Part of the MOA states the establishment of capacity building programs, including CIT for BOC personnel aimed at developing familiarity with strategic goods, identifying potentially controlled shipments, and building awareness of scenarios regarding potential STMA violations.

The pilot CIT is a joint initiative of the STMO and the BOC, through the Interim Training and Development Division (ITDD) to raise awareness of frontline officers on issues related to proliferation of strategic goods. The training also highlights the value of cooperation, coordination, and collaboration amongst different government agencies, and the role of the BOC in commodity identification, investigation, and technical assessment to establish a strong strategic trade management system in the Philippines.

In preparation for the virtual training, personnel from the STMO and some members of the BOC Pool of Trainers conducted a locked-in planning and recording of materials on June 16-18, 2021 at the Quest Hotel in Tagaytay. The recorded materials are used as pre-recorded lectures for CIT.

The CIT, attended by personnel from the Export Coordination Division of the Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group, Environment Protection and Coordination Division of the Enforcement Group, and Export Divisions/Sections/Units from the different Collection Districts, runs from July 30 to August 10, 2021. (BOC)