THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) under Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio recorded its highest monthly collection thus far this year after chalking in a total of P80.133 billion collection for the month of March that also yielded a surplus revenue of P7.851 billion or a positive deviation of 10.86 percent from its target of P72.282 billion.
The figure also surpassed the actual collection of P70.778 billion the BOC registered for the same month last year, which, at the time, has been considered as the ‘highest’ monthly collection of the agency.
However, the March collection, although impressive, was not the ‘highest monthly collection’ registered by the agency, as the bureau’s press statement released on April 4, 2023, maintained.
Official data showed that in 2022, under the term of former Armed Forces chief, Commissioner Rey Leonardo ‘Jagger’ Guerrero, the March 2022 collection record was eclipsed during the month of June after the agency collected P76.290 billion and then again on the following month of July, Guerrero’s last month in office, when the agency collected P84.424 billion for a 38.9 percent increase against its target of P60.785 billion, equivalent to a surplus of 23.63 billion (see also Pinoy Exposé, August 2, 2022).
The July 2022 collection remains thus far as the highest monthly collection recorded by the agency and observers are keenly watching if the feat would be duplicated, if not surpassed, by Commissioner Rubio.
Guerrero would be replaced by former Enforcement and Security Service (ESS/Customs Police) director, Yogi Filemon Ruiz, who, in turn, was succeeded by Rubio last February.
“We are confident that the P1 trillion collection mark would be breached by the BOC under the leadership of Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.”
The impressive collection in March, fully attributed to the management skills of Rubio, is also a positive indication that the customs chief can make good of his vow to even surpass its target of more than P921 billion for this year when he assumed the top customs post.
For the first quarter of 2023, official data showed that the BOC has exceeded its target of P197.020 billion assigned by the country’s fiscal managers after collecting P213.619 billion for a positive deviation of 8.43 percent or a surplus of P16.6 billion.
In a brief statement, Rubio attributed the agency’s strong performance to the ‘Five-Point Priority Programs’ he intends to implement during his term focused on digitalizing Customs processes, simplifying procedures, curbing smuggling in all forms, and uplifting employee welfare and development.
“Our positive collection performance for the first quarter of 2023 is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our men and women at the bureau.
“We will continue to implement our priority programs and introduce new initiatives to sustain this positive momentum,” the customs chief said.
Another official close to Rubio disclosed to Pinoy Exposé that although the P921 billion target for this year is considered a “daunting challenge” to others, the customs chief is undeterred. “Internally, Comm. Rubio has even set a ‘personal goal’ of more than P1 trillion collection by the end of the year,” the source bared.
“We are confident that the P1 trillion collection mark would be breached by the BOC under the leadership of Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio,” the source added.