The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is continuing its inventory of seized mobile phones and computers in various ports across the country to supplement the earlier donation it made to the Department of Education (DepEd) in support of its blended or distance learning program amid the coronavirus pandemic.

When asked by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III whether the BOC still has computers and other gadgets that it can donate to the DepEd, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said the bureau still has seized smuggled mobile phones stored at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and the Port of Manila (POM).

“We are just conducting an inventory, and seeking clearance from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) if these can be donated,” Guerrero said during a recent Department of Finance (DOF) Executive Committee (Execom) meeting.

Guerrero said the BOC needs to secure the clearance of the NTC for the donation of the cellular phones because these mobile devices are classified as regulated items.

Last Jan. 29, the BOC formally turned over to Education Secretary Leonor Briones 198 units of laptops and 4,840 smartphones that it had seized during a joint operation conducted with personnel of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC).

Dominguez lauded the BOC for not letting its guard down even amid this challenging period spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our customs officers have continuously modernized their processes and intensified their efforts to combat illicit trade,” Dominguez said.

He also commended Briones “for the relentless effort that the DepEd has put in to keep the classes going despite all odds.”

Dominguez has assured Briones of the full support of the DOF and its attached agencies for the DepEd’s efforts to ensure that Filipino learners continue their schooling with its blended learning program despite the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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