House panel chair cites strong BOC collections

The chair of the House of Representatives’ appropriations panel on Tuesday described as “reassuring” the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) strong collection showing for the first quarter of the year. In a statement, Ako Bicol party list Rep. Elizaldy Co said the BOC’s collection performance “bodes well for the administration” to fund various programs lined up by President Marcos in his eight-point socioeconomic agenda. “These extra revenues will go a long way in funding the various programs of President Marcos … Nothing is more reassuring than knowing that the programs and projects we are allocating money for can actually be funded,” Co said. The BOC exceeded its revenue target of P197 billion for the first quarter of 2023 by 8.43 percent, raking in a surplus of P16.6 billion from P213.6 billion in collections.

—Jeannette I. Andrade