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The Bureau of Customs Examination Online Viewing became available on October 15
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The platform allows cargo owners to view the examination process online
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It enables BOC personnel to schedule a container for examination
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For now the online examination will also run parallel with onsite examinations
Customers of Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) can now view online the customs examination of their shipments.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Examination Online Viewing, which became available on October 15, is a platform which enables BOC personnel to schedule a container for examination and allows cargo owners to view the examination process online.
READ: BOC online viewing of MICT shipments starts Oct 15
BOC-Manila International Container Port (MICP) district collector Romeo Allan Rosales, in an earlier statement to PortCalls, said the online viewing system is an initiative of BOC, MICT port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc., and the Department of Agriculture, particularly its attached agencies, Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Plant Industry, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Rosales said the system will enable importers, customs brokers and other stakeholders to view their shipments in the comfort of their homes or offices.
It is also part of BOC-MICP’s “efforts to protect and promote safety to its customers amidst this time of pandemic as they fulfill the requirements and processes to release their shipments.”
According to the user guide prepared by MICT management to assist port users transitioning to the new process, the online viewing covers both dry and reefer shipments.
Requests for physical viewing of the examination process will no longer be allowed except for alerted containers, in which case BOC will require customs brokers to be physically present. The customer or customs broker may also waive their right to be physically present during the examination of an alerted container should they wish to view to examination online.
But in a later advisory, MICT management said that for now, the online examination will run parallel to onsite examinations until further notice.
For dry cargoes, the new platform will provide the BOC schedule and booking allotments for examination requests. It will also allow BOC personnel to monitor the status of containers and nominate paid containers for examination.
For reefers, the platform will enable the tracking of the real-time movements of trucks inside the yard. It will also enable BOC to immediately lift holds for x-ray and reefers, and do online transmission of documents.
Moreover, customs brokers may view in real time the cargo examination, thus limiting foot traffic in the designated examination area.
To enable online viewing, the customer will need a stable internet connection for their device, and will have to register their contact details with MICT’s Advance Customer Transaction System.
For dry cargoes, the customer will be notified via email that their cargo has been nominated for examination. A link for the online viewing will be sent after the customer has paid for the cargo and BOC has scheduled the examination.
For reefers, the link for online viewing will be sent once the reefer has been mounted onto the truck for transport to the container freight station for examination.
Customers will be sent a one-time password prior to logging in to the platform to view the examination process.
Multiple logins using one link will be allowed for a maximum of three times so viewing can be shared with colleagues or customers.
