BOC seizes ₧9.5-B smuggled items in 4 months By Andrea E. San Juan
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A SPLASH OF RELIEF Residents of Marikina City and nearby areas flocked to the swimming pool at the Marikina Sports Park, a city government–managed sports and recreation complex used for athletic events, training, and public leisure activities. It remains one of the city’s key hubs for community sports and recreation, especially during periods of extreme heat when it serves as a popular cooling spot for residents. JOEL C. PAREDES
@andreasanjuan
HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P9.534 billion worth of smuggled goods—mostly illicit cigarettes— in the first four months of the year. In its official Newsletter, the BOC reported it executed 523 enforcement operations from January to April this year, stopping the entry of illegal drugs, cigarettes, agricultural products and other goods in the local markets. About P3.294 billion worth of illicit cigarettes were intercepted, followed by illegal drugs amount-
ing to P3.10 billion, illicit e-cigarettes or vape products valued at P1.477 billion, fake cosmetics amounting to P707 million and agricultural products valued at P271 million. In a separate statement, the Customs bureau said BOC-Port of Cebu, in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard Intelligence Group-Central Visayas, intercepted two container vans suspected of containing illicit cigarettes in an early May 2026 operation. On May 11, 2026, Customs authorities conducted a physical examination of one 40-footer container van and one 20-footer
container van. “The inspection yielded approximately 1,445 master cases of assorted illicit cigarettes, comprising 466 master cases of Modern brand cigarettes and 979 master cases of Nise Baisha brand cigarettes,” BOC said. Further inventory revealed that each master case contained 10,000 cigarette sticks, placing the estimated street value of the shipment at P115,600,000. The BOC said the operation stemmed from intelligence information jointly developed by the BOC–Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) and the PCGIG-CV, through coordi-
nated inter-agency efforts to intercept illegal trade activities. A Warrant of Seizure and Detention was issued on May 22, 2026 for violation of Section 1113 (f), in relation to Sections L-1 and L-5 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). In a separate operation during the first week of May, the Subport of Mactan also intercepted 200 pieces of vape pod cartridges from a South Korean traveler at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), with an estimated value of over P66,000, the BOC noted. Customs Commissioner Ariel F. See “BOC,” A2
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A broader look at today’s business
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Monday, May 25, 2026 Vol. 21 No. 223
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
By Bless Aubrey Ogerio
HE government’s fuel excise tax suspension mechanism may no longer respond fast enough to rising oil prices under the current pricing environment, potentially delaying relief measures even as consumers face sharper inflation pressures, a research unit of the House of Representatives has warned. In a discussion paper, the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) examined how international crude oil prices were transmitted to domestic fuel prices and inflation from January 2010 to February 2026. It used a break-corrected asymmetric error-correction model that accounted for shifts in the
pricing environment following fuel tax reforms, the pandemic, and global energy disruptions. “Calibrating the RA 12316 suspension trigger using pre-reform or historically averaged elasticities would therefore underestimate how much price pressure a given crude oil increase generates under the current excise-inclusive See “Oil tax,” A2
‘GLOBAL EPICENTER OF NURSING EXCELLENCE’ TAG FOR PHL CITED By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
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HE Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday touted the recognition by the international health sectors of the Philippines being the “global epicenter of nursing excellence.” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said that no less than World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other WHO member states recognized the important role and strategies being implemented by
the DOH for strengthening the national and global health workforce. “This reputation is driven by the country’s extensive, worldclass nursing education, strong clinical training, and the indispensable role of Filipino healthcare professionals in hospitals worldwide,” the DOH said on its Facebook page. Herbosa, who is in Geneva, Switzerland for the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) from May 15 to 25, emphasized that the DOH balances supporting other countries in need See “Nursing,” A2
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Filipino mountaineer and Everest summiteer Founder, Revolve Eco.Logical
ERC sets biomass WTE ceiling price By Lenie Lectura
BusinessMirror
REGIE PABLO
HIGH-VOLTAGE SITUATION The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has placed the Luzon grid under close monitoring as tight supply conditions persist, with yellow and red alerts raised amid high demand and reduced available capacity. In Las Piñas City, electric utility workers conduct a nighttime inspection of an array of meters mounted on a utility post as part of efforts to ensure safe and stable electricity distribution amid intermittent interruptions. In Quezon City, linemen carry out maintenance and repair work along Edsa as grid stability measures continue under pressure from forced outages of several power plants and sustained demand across Luzon and the Visayas. NONIE REYES AND NONOY LACZA
FROM SUMMIT TO SUSTAINABILITY
RESILIENCE, CHANGE, AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
JUSTINE XYRAH GARCIA BusinessMirror Macroeconomy Reporter
@llectura
HE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has approved a green energy auction reserve (GEAR) price ceiling of P9.3 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for pioneer biomass waste-to-energy (WTE) projects, targeting an installation capacity of 230 megawatts (MW). The final amount is higher than the proposed rate of P8.0167/kWh. In determining the final GEAR ceiling price, the ERC said it exercised
due diligence to protect public interest so that only the costs of efficient plants are passed on to the consumers. “After due deliberation and careful consideration of the various views and comments submitted by stakeholders, and guided by the policy objectives under the Epira and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, the Commission approved the final GEAR prices for the pioneer biomass WTE projects. The Commission resolves to approve and adopt the final GEAR price at P9.2959 per kWh,” the 10-
page ERC resolution stated. WTE is recognized as a baseload renewable energy (RE) technology that integrates electricity generation with municipal solid waste (MSW) as feed stock. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy (DOE) opens today the registration of qualified suppliers while actual bidding is expected to happen on August 7, 2026. The winning bidders must deliver their proposed biomass WTE projects from September 2028 to March 2029. Power supply agreements will be valid for 25 years.
The supply of municipal solid waste falls under the jurisdiction of the local government units while the Department of Energy (DOE) will facilitate coordination, assist developers, and promote MSW supply efforts. “WTE facilities shall provide a stable, indigenous and baseload source of electricity by converting MSW, such as source of segregated biodegradable or residual wastes collected from households, materials recovery facilities, residual containment areas, sanitary landfills, See “WTE,” A2
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 61.6160 n JAPAN 0.3876 n UK 82.7996 n HK 7.8653 n CHINA 9.0665 n SINGAPORE 48.2355 n AUSTRALIA 44.0493 n EU 71.5978 n KOREA 0.0409 n SAUDI ARABIA 16.4196 Source: BSP (May 22, 2026)