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The Department of Information and Communications Technology held the initial live run of the country’s new national single window
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It marks the transition of the NSW-Integrated Trade Facilitation Platform from development and testing to pilot operational use
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The National Tobacco Administration was the pilot onboarded trade regulatory government agency
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The Bureau of Internal Revenue has likewise completed user acceptance testing for its Authority to Release Imported Goods integration and is now moving toward full production deployment and pilot implementation within the platform
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) held the pilot live run of the country’s new National Single Window (NSW), with the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) as the first onboarded trade regulatory government agency (TRGA).
The go-live operation marks the transition of the NSW-Integrated Trade Facilitation Platform (NSW-ITFP) from development and testing to pilot operational use, where government transactions may now be processed on the system in real time, DICT said in a statement on June 22.
The NSW-ITFP is a unified platform that will serve as a one-stop-shop for the submission and processing of trade-related documents and permits across various government agencies.
DICT said the NSW-ITFP enables a more connected and interoperable government, allowing agencies to share data and streamline processes in real time securely. Through the platform, traders and businesses will no longer need to submit the same requirements to multiple agencies, significantly reducing processing time and compliance costs, it added.
The NTA onboarding has successfully completed user acceptance testing and is now fully operational as the pilot TRGA under the NSW-ITFP.
DICT said NTA’s “smooth transition into the live environment now stands as the benchmark model for all succeeding TRGA onboardings.”
READ: Inter-agency committee checks on National Single Window progress
It added that the integration reflects the strong coordination between the DICT as the implementing agency, the Department of Finance (DOF) as the lead policy and oversight body for trade facilitation, and the Anti-Red Tape Authority in driving regulatory streamlining across government.
“Through this inter-agency collaboration, the NTA became the first TRGA to deploy and operate within the centralized system, demonstrating the practical benefits of digitalizing regulatory processes and setting a clear precedent for the rest of the public sector,” DICT said.
BIR testing
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has likewise completed user acceptance testing for its Authority to Release Imported Goods (ATRIG) integration and is now moving toward full production deployment and pilot implementation within the platform.
“The successful pilot go-live of the National Single Window is a massive win for our trading community,” NTA administrator Belinda Sanchez said.
“By eliminating repetitive paperwork and linking our system directly with the DICT and BIR, we are cutting through layers of red tape. The NTA is proud to lead this digital upgrade, which will accelerate trade, protect livelihoods, and deliver a significant boost to the tobacco industry,” Sanchez added.
For his part, DICT secretary Henry Aguda said: “Every delay in trade has a cost, not only for businesses, but ultimately for the Filipino people. The National Single Window helps remove unnecessary barriers by allowing government agencies to work as one, making trade faster, more transparent, and more efficient. With the onboarding of agencies, we are taking a major step toward a government that is easier to transact with and an economy that is more competitive. This is Digital Bayanihan with a direct impact on livelihoods, investments, jobs, and the everyday lives of Filipinos.”
The onboarding of NTA is ahead of the earlier announced schedule of onboarding for TRGAs.
READ: Trade regulatory agencies start National Single Window onboarding by Aug
At a stakeholders’ consultation on the new platform last May 21, Finance assistant secretary Angelica Sarmiento said more than 70 TRGAs will be onboarded into the NSW-ITFP in phases starting in August based on trade volume, criticality, and technical preparedness of the agency.
For the first phase, TRGAs mostly focused on the agricultural sector will be the first batch to onboard in August. The move is in alignment with requirements under Republic Act No. 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act, Sarmiento noted.
The second phase will also start in 2026 and run until 2027 involving 17 TRGAs critical industrial and public safety agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and Strategic Trade Management Office. With the completion of phase two, “the vast majority of day-to-day high volume consumer imports will be fully digitalized,” Sarmiento said.
Phase three is scheduled for mid-2027 and will include 22 TRGAs, such the Bureau of Import Services, Dangerous Drugs Board, and airport and transport authorities, among others.
The fourth phase from 2027 to 2028 involves 12 TRGAs that are mostly investment promotions agencies.
Once operational, the DICT earlier said the NSW-ITFP is envisioned to streamline import, export, and transit documentation through a unified submission system, replacing fragmented manual processes.
The NSW-ITFP will replace TradeNet, which currently serves as the country’s NSW. The NSW is the platform required to connect to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Single Window (ASW), a regional initiative to speed up cargo clearance and promote regional economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among the ASEAN member states.
The joint venture of JAMC Holdings Corp. and Ascent Solutions Philippines Inc. submitted in February 2024 an unsolicited proposal for the NSW-ITFP and was awarded the contract for the project on November 21, 2025 after no comparative proposals were received until the November 13, 2025 deadline.
In December 2025, DICT and the joint venture, now called TradeX Network, Inc., signed the contract for the development and operation of NSW-ITFP.
READ: JAMC-Ascent joint venture bags P394M National Single Window contract
Based on the contract, the project will run for 12 years, including the construction period, with an investment cost of P393.8 million.
