BOC donates 13 container loads of seized goods to ‘Odette’ victims

RESPONDING to the call of Pres. Duterte for a ‘whole of government’ effort to assist the victims of Typhoon ‘Odette’ that devastated huge part of Mindanao and the Visayas last week, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday, December 24, 2021, turned over some 13 container loads of seized goods to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In a simple ceremony held at his office, Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said the seized goods include 5,200 sacks of Vietnam rice loaded on 10×20 containers, 91,200 pieces of canned goods loaded in 2×20 containers and 1×40 containers loaded with 81,200 pairs of footwear.

“We’ll see if we can contribute more,” Guerrero told the DSWD officials headed by Dir. Emmanuel Privado.

The donated items were separately forfeited in favor of the government on separate occasion at the Port of Batangas (POM), Port of Manila (POM) and the Manila International Container Port (MICP) for violation of RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Aside from Guerrero and Privado, also witnessing the turnover ceremony were, Mark Poul B. Agner, and Jesrel J. Migrato, DSWD;

Atty. Edward James A. Dy Buco, Deputy Commissioner, Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group (AOCG); Donato B. San Juan, Deputy Commissioner, Internal Administration Group (IAG); and, Raniel T. Ramiro, Deputy Commissioner, Intelligence Group (IG).

Privado, on behalf of the DSWD, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to BOC for the untiring support to the department, especially in the facilitation of foreign donations “at this challenging time.”

‘24/7’ processing of donations– Dominguez

In his message, Guerrero stressed that the bureau will continue to support the DSWD and assure of the speedy processing of donations received by the country from abroad, as also directed by Department of Finance (DOF) secretary, Carlos Dominguez.

Dominguez, in a report to Pres. Duterte last December 21, 2021, said he has already ordered a ‘round-the-clock’ processing of applications for tax and duty exemptions for donations to communities ravaged by Typhoon Odette, the same day the Chief Executive placed areas ravaged by ‘Odette’ in a “state of calamity.”

These areas include: Regions 4B (Mimaropa–Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 10 (Northern Mindanao) and 13 (Caraga).

An initial damage assessment placed the destroyed properties at more than P13 billion while casualties, as of latest count, reached 375 dead and hundreds more wounded.