The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have formalized a long-term agreement guaranteeing BOC’s continued rent-free operations in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone for 25 years.

Signed on April 10, the memorandum of agreement allows the continued presence of the BOC in the Freeport while laying the groundwork for improved infrastructure and operational alignment between the two agencies.

Customs commissioner Bienvenido Rubio and SBMA chairman and administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño signed the deal.

Under the agreement, the BOC is tasked with maintaining its facilities in compliance with environmental regulations, improving the handling of seized goods, and modernizing customs functions. In turn, SBMA will provide access to strategic property assets critical to BOC’s operations and support the construction of a new Port of Subic building.

“The Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Bureau of Customs not only represents a 25-year, rent-free tenure within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone but most importantly it is a powerful, resounding affirmation of the enduring, symbiotic partnership that binds our two institutions,” Rubio said in a statement.

“We are confident that this partnership will lead to a surge in trade volumes, the attraction of new investments, and a substantial boost in revenue collection that will fund our government’s projects and uplift the lives of every Filipino,” he added.

Aliño emphasized that the envisioned infrastructure will raise the quality of service delivery across the Freeport, stating, “We are confident that, upon completion, this facility will enhance services and provide greater convenience for both Bureau of Customs clients and pre-port stakeholders.”

Port of Subic District Collector Atty. Marlon Fritz Broto said: “For SBMA, this deepened and revitalized partnership with BOC is not merely advantageous. It is a foundation for our continued success and future aspirations. Conversely, for BOC, this agreement provides a stable, predictable, and empowering framework for strategic long-term planning and development of future approved infrastructure and confident implementation of transformative solutions.”

BOC said the partnership aligns with the Marcos administration’s broader socioeconomic agenda, which calls for more effective inter-agency collaboration, streamlined bureaucratic processes, and robust trade facilitation.

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