BOC to skip inspection on arriving COVID-19 vaccines —spokesperson

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will no longer conduct an inspection on COVID-19 vaccines with emergency use authorization that will arrive in the country, its spokesperson Atty. Vincent Maronilla said on Sunday.

Asked on "Dobol B TV" if the bureau will open and check the shipment of vaccines upon arrival in the country, Maronilla said no inspection process will be done.

“Wala pong ganun kasi hindi po puwedeng buksan itong shipment na ito. Hindi rin po siya puwedeng idaan sa X-ray kahit ganoong examination, hindi po,” he said.

According to Maronilla, the Customs will only confirm the information declared for the shipment once the vaccines are being transferred to cold storage facilities.

“Pagdating po ng Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, nandoon po ‘yung Customs officers namin para lang po tingnan ‘yung paglipat niya sa cold storage facility,” he added.

Customs officers will confirm the number of boxes and the vaccines.

Further, Maronilla said the BOC had conducted in advance the processing for the vaccine shipment.

“Nai-submit na sa amin 'yung necessary documents at bago pa po lumapag ito, ipo-proseso na namin ‘yung clearances sa Customs,” he said.

“Pagdating ho doon, ang mangyayari ho dito papalabasin na lang namin at babantayan namin hanggang makarating siya sa RITM," he added.

Around 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinovac are expected to arrive on Sunday, while 525,600 from AstraZeneca on Monday. —LBG, GMA News