Cebu Customs gets award as one of 8 top performing districts

After overshooting its P8.6 billion target, the Bureau of Customs in Cebu was awarded yesterday as one of eight districts in the country that exceeded collection targets for 2012.

The recognition was made during the BOC’s 111th anniversary held at the old Customs Building or Malacañang sa Sugbo near Plaza Independencia.

The Port of Cebu collected P8.766 billion out of its P8.6 billion target.

“Cebu has great potential, both as an import and export center,” said Cebu District Collector Ronnie Silvestre.

The ports of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, , Clark International Airport, Iloilo, Tacloban, Legaspi and Surigao also exceeded their collection goals.

“Smuggling is still profitable, but we make it more painful to them with a certainty of being caught and persecuted,” said Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon.

Around P1.1 billion in smuggled goods were apprehended last year, he said.

Biazon also noted that the public’s trust rating of the BOC went up from -69% to -45%.

“We want to restore the people’s trust in the BOC. What we need is a change in people, not just a change of people,” he added.

Overall, the BOC is about P60 billion short of its 2012 collection target of P347.07 billion.

However, compared to actual collection in 2011, the 2012 collection is 8.5 percent higher.

Failure of key ports like the Manila International Container Port and ports in Batangas to meet collection targets prompted Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon to start a revamp.

Yesterday’s event also marked the formal turnover of the reins of the BOC in Cebu from Silvestre to Edward dela Cuesta.

Silvestre will be assigned in Pampanga’s Clark International Airport, the post previously held by Dela Cuesta.

“We must wage a war against corruption and smuggling in the country,” said Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who attended the ceremony in Cebu City.

It was a rare celebration for the BOC to mark its anniversary outside Manila.

“Being at the center of the Philippines, it may be said that we are celebrating our 111th Anniversary right at the very heart of the country. Being central, we deemed it symbolic of the overarching motif of our 111th Anniversary: Unity under a common objective. 1-1-1.One BOC, One Vision, One Country,” Biazon said.

The event was also attended by Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale.