BOC to roll out customs processing system mid-2027

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) Customs Processing System (CPS), a digital platform designed to fully digitize import and export transactions, is expected to be rolled out in June or July next year, BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said on Wednesday.

Nepomuceno said the system is one of 15 proposed BOC projects aimed at modernizing and digitizing the agency.

He likened the CPS to an automated teller machine, saying importers and exporters would no longer have to transact directly with Customs officials but could instead scan and submit their documents digitally.

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“Once it is rolled out, expect the effects of a fully digitalized importation and exportation process, in which users will no longer have to deal directly with Customs personnel. The system will be AI-based and protected by blockchain technology. That’s the gold standard,” Nepomuceno said at a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

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Nepomuceno said pilot testing would take time because the agency must comply with legally mandated procurement procedures.

“We can’t bypass the process because it involves publication, negotiation and several other steps. Technical, legal and financial requirements must be met. We have to follow the law to ensure transparency,” he added.

READ: BOC revenue hits P757.4B in Jan-Sept 2026

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Nepomuceno said the BOC would conduct pilot tests in Batangas, Davao or Cebu, as well as at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He said the agency did not develop the technology itself but patterned the CPS after a system associated with Crimson Technology, a Singapore-based software firm.

He added that the BOC was negotiating with a consortium under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement. The transaction fee was set at P330 per entry following negotiations with its partners.

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Through the PPP, Nepomuceno said, private sector partners could closely monitor the project to help prevent corruption and sabotage. /das