On 29 and 30 June 2021, the WCO organized an online National Workshop on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy for the Philippines Bureau of Customs, in close cooperation with the Regional Office for Capacity Building for the Asia/Pacific region (ROCB A/P). More than 20 participants from the Bureau of Customs attended the Workshop.

During the two-day Workshop, participants were made aware of the challenges faced by Customs administrations during the current pandemic and of the important role to be played by Customs in securing borders and safeguarding society, by preventing counterfeit and illicit vaccines, medical supplies and equipment from entering their countries.

The WCO Secretariat presented the tools and instruments available to Customs officers for risk management purposes, designed to facilitate the detection of counterfeit, substandard and illicit items.

The seAcond day of the Workshop focused on specific training by Rights Holders’ representatives, who explained some basic concepts to help Customs officers distinguish between genuine and counterfeit products and described their contribution to law enforcement activities.