DEPARTMENT of Finance ( DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez only has kind words and fulsome praise for the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as it celebrated its 119th anniversary last February 9, 2021.
Accompanied by Undersecretary Antonette Tionko, Dominguez was greeted by an honor guard and a red carpet welcome led by Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and other customs officials on his arrival around 3:00 pm at the Port of Manila.
The group first witnessed the destruction of 10 confiscated luxury vehicles valued at P45.243 million and which were confiscated on their arrival at the Port of Manila, Port of Cebu and the Manila International Container Port between 2015 and 2020.
“The destruction of the vehicles which arrived from the US, Belgium, Japan, and Korea is a warning to all unscrupulous importers to stop the illegal importation of vehicles,” stressed assistant commissioner and BOC spokesman, Atty. Vincent Maronilla.
The destroyed vehicles include:
1-unit used Ford F-150 Super SVT Can Raptor Pick Up, 1-unit brand new 2015 Toyota Landcruiser, and 1-unit used 2007 Bentley Continental GT, which were seized at the MICP in August 2015, November 2017, and January 2019, respectively;
1-unit Land Rover 2012, 1-unit Range Rover Evoque 2019, 1-unit Porsche 911, 1-unit Mercedes Benz, and, 1-unit Alfa Romeo, confiscated at the Port of Cebu in 2019;
1-unit brand new Hyundai Starex and, 1-unit used Renault Black Van seized at the POM in February 2020.
‘Job very well done’
During the anniversary proper that was celebrated under the theme, “Makabagong Aduana, Matatag na Ekonomiya,” Guerrero introduced Dominguez as the agency’s “strongest supporter” in the Cabinet and the official who remains steadfast in his support to all the programs he has initiated since becoming customs commissioner in October 2018.
Dominguez, during his speech lasting just 10-minutes, was lavish in showering praises to Guerrero and the other customs officials, declaring that despite the devastation to the economy brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the BOC did a “job very well done the past year.”
Dominguez said he continues to be “impressed with how the BOC continuously improve its processes,” adding the Guerrero’s efforts “always exceeded” Malacañang’s expectations.
The finance chief said that Guerrero’s 10-Point Priority Programs last year helped “minimize” government revenue losses by “continuing (your) modernization initiative to achieve a more efficient customs administration.”
In an official report, Guerrero noted that all his priority projects had achieved an average completion rate of 89 percent, with 2 of them, risk management and the automation of frontline functions like automated entry lodgment, achieving 100 percent completion.
Dominguez said the success of Guerrero’s programs enabled the BOC to even surpassed its assigned target of P506 billion by 6.6 percent, after actually collecting P539.660 billion, or P33.5 billion more.
Dominguez likewise took note of the success of the bureau’s anti-smuggling drive that last year netted more than P10 billion worth of smuggled goods.
In concluding his speech, Dominguez also expressed his confidence that the BOC shall be able to meet the challenges posed by the need to immediately release and deliver the vaccines for COVID-19.
The finance chief is drawing from the success of Guerrero’s directive last year that resulted to the immediate release of all imported PPEs and other medical supplies needed by health workers, medical facilities and frontliners during the most intense period of the country’s battle against the spread of the virus.
To make sure that the BOC is not accused of conniving with smugglers and other unscrupulous individuals in the hoarding or delay in the release of these vital medical supplies, Guerrero ordered that all imports of these necessities be strictly monitored and the data released to the public on a daily basis.
Dominguez also assured that as among the country’s frontliners, BOC personnel shall also be prioritized in the country’s national vaccination program.