BOC pushes collection surge to 14 months

25 percent of August surplus contributed by Port of Davao

On Sep 6, 2021

Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, conferring with Department of Finance secretary, Carlos Dominguez, before the program proper during the BOC anniversary last February 9, 2021. Besides Dominguez is DOF Undersecretary Antonette Tionko. It may be the last BOC anniversary to be presided by the highly-respected former AFP chief who would also be Pres. Duterte's third and longest serving Customs chief (photo by: Dexter Gatoc/BOC-PIAD)

THE Bureau of Customs under Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, continues to chalk surplus collection each month since June 2020, after again exceeding its assigned collection for August by nearly P1 billion.

Assistant Commissioner and BOC spokesperson, Atty. Vincent ‘Jett’ Maronilla, quoting from the preliminary report by bureau’s Financial Service, said actual cash collection for August totaled P54.050 billion, upped by 1.86 percent or P989 million, from its assigned target of P53.061 billion.

For 2021, the BOC has consistently exceeded its monthly assigned target since January, a feat that started back in June 2020, after the initial easing down of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Going back from that date, the BOC has been registering surplus collection in the last 14 months.

To date, Maronilla added, the BOC has already collected 67 percent or P412.964 billion of its assigned collection target of P616.749 billion for 2021.

The surplus collection for August was made by the BOC, despite only 6 of its 17 collection districts able to exceed their assigned targets, respectively, the first time this year that less than 8 collection districts failed to meet their assigned goals.

Port of Davao district collector, Atty. Dino Austria

Those who exceeded their targets are the ports of San Fernando, Port of Manila, Surigao, Davao, Clark and Limay.

The regional Port of Davao (Collection District 12) under District Collector Atty. Erastus Sandino ‘Dino’ Austria, contributed some 25 percent or P249.31 million, of the P989 million BOC surplus collection for August.

For August, the Port of Davao, along with its sub-ports, Dadiangas, Parang and Mati, generated a total of P3.22 billion compared to its assigned target of P2.973 billion or a positive deviation of 8.39 percent.

The port is also among the few customs collection districts that have consistently met their respective assigned targets since January.

In a brief statement, Austria said the port’s “commendable revenue collection performance was made possible through the collective efforts of the BOC employees and its stakeholders that continuously transact despite the pandemic.”

“This exemplary performance of Collection District XII is a result of the strict implementation of proper valuation of imported goods, collection of lawful duties and taxes and revenue collection from public auctions of abandoned and forfeited shipments,” Austria added.