SINCE the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has been facilitating the expeditious release of various Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 vaccines. As of March 2022, the BOC successfully processed and cleared 16,142 shipments of PPE and 243 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Of the total cleared vaccines, 56 million are Sinovac, 1 million are Sinopharm, 100 thousand are Sinopharm (Hayat Vax), 38.8 million are AstraZeneca, 91 million are Pfizer, 10 million are Sputnik V, 34 million Moderna, and 12.7 million are Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
The Covid-19 vaccines are from China, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Russia. Most vaccines were processed at the BOC – Port of NAIA while the rest were through the Port of Davao and Subport of Mactan in Cebu.
These vaccines underwent advance clearance processing to ensure their expeditious release and delivery. Underguarding duties were also done by the BOC’s CoVax Special Handling Taskforce composed of members from NAIA’s Customs Examiners, Enforcement and Security Service, and Aircraft Operations Division.
The immediate clearance of PPEs and Covid-19 vaccines was made possible through the One-Stop-Shop of the BOC – Port of NAIA and the Bureau’s close coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
The Bureau of Customs will continue to enhance its efforts in monitoring and ensuring the smooth flow of PPEs and Covid-19 vaccines, including all other essential goods.
