Bureau of Customs (BOC) | FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong is proposing to increase the budget of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in 2025 by P6.71 billion, which covers the rehabilitation of its fire-hit building in Port Area, Manila and the incentives of the agency’s staff.
During Monday’s 2025 General Appropriations Bill plenary deliberations, Adiong presented the proposal seeking to increase BOC’s budget from P5.633 billion to P11.734 billion.
READ: BOC to probe cause of fire in its Port Area building
“We wish to request that the allocation for the fiscal year 2025 of BOC be reverted to the 11.734 billion amount they originally requested from the DBM (Department of Budget and Management),” he said.
“This brings the total budget increase to P6.71 billion which is crucial for supporting both the agency’s workforce and its infrastructure improvements. We appeal that this original proposal initially requested by the BOC to DBM be restored,” he added.
Adiong said of the P6.71 billion, P2.462 billion will be allocated for retrofitting and rehabilitation of the Port Area building, which will be utilized for five years.
Meanwhile, P3.69 billion will be allocated to personal services in a bid “to provide well-deserved rewards and incentives” to BOC’s hard-working staff since 2021.
The BOC building caught fire on February 22, 2019 around 9 p.m. and the blaze lasted for almost 10 hours. It reached the 5th alarm before it was extinguished at 7 a.m. on February 23, 2019.