The Philippine Institute of Petroleum (PIP) held a meeting with Bureau of Customs (BOC) Deputy Commissioner Nolasco Bathan on 02 December. The meeting, attended by representatives of PIP member companies, namely Chevron, Petron, Shell and PTT, discussed ways to strengthen the government’s fuel-marking program further and intensify efforts against fuel smuggling.

During the meeting, the PIP and the BOC exchanged views on current challenges in implementing and enforcing the fuel-marking program. At present, the fuel marking program remains a vital tool in ensuring tax payment and compliance, protecting government revenues, and promoting fair competition within the downstream petroleum industry. During this meeting, both the PIP and the BOC highlighted the importance of sustained coordination between government and industry to address operational gaps, industry concerns about the program, and smuggling activities more broadly.

Deputy Commissioner Bathan, for his part, acknowledged the concerns raised by PIP member companies and shared the Bureau’s commitment to enhancing inter-agency cooperation, improving monitoring mechanisms, and strengthening enforcement actions against illicit fuel trade. He encourages the PIP to provide industry feedback and recommendations to identify areas for improvement and refine implementation strategies, thereby strengthening the fuel marking program.

PIP reaffirmed its support for government initiatives to curb fuel smuggling and expressed its readiness to continue working closely with the BOC and other relevant agencies.