Subic Port commended; first to surpass 2020 target

On Dec 14, 2020

Port of Subic district collector, Atty. Maritess Martin, holding the special commendation to her and other officials of the Port by JTI Philippines for their relentless campaign against cigarette smuggling. The PoS is also the first among the 17 collection districts of the Bureau of Customs to surpass its 2020 collection target, with still one month to go before the end of the year (BOC-PIAD).

THE Port of Subic under Coll. Maritess Martin earned a “special commendation” from the Japan Tobacco Group of Companies over its unrelenting campaign against cigarette smuggling while easing the worries of Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, after achieving its 2020 assigned collection target with several weeks more to spare.

In the month of September alone, the Port of Subic had seized P201 million worth of smuggled cigarettes that upped the amount of its seizure to P305.538 million from January to November.

The special commendation by the Japan Tobacco Group, thru its local subsidiary, JT International Philippines (JTI), cited Martin and the port’s personnel for “their dedication and exceptional work in the fight against illicit trade operation and smuggling of counterfeit and illicit tobacco products in the Philippines.”

The simple ceremony was held last December 4, 2020, at the Marriott Hotel in Clark.

Martin had also previously confirmed that all smuggled cigarettes seized at the port have been destroyed in compliance with the directive of Guerrero for all ports to immediately dispose or destroy all smuggled goods to avoid suspicion of theft and pilferage.

Also cited by JTI were the following PoS personnel and officials:

Deputy Collectors for Assessment, Operations and Administration, Ms. Maita S. Acevedo, Atty. Giovanni Ferdinand Leynes, and Atty. Aileen Tortoles;

Law Division Chief, Atty. Willie B. Sarmiento as well as the POS’ Enforcement and Security Service headed by Capt. Regino A. Tuason, and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, headed by IO3 Verne Y. Enciso and the rest of the PoS ‘Alerting Team.’

And with the BOC just some P12.8 billion short of its collection target for this year of P506.150 billion, Martin also reported to Guerrero that thus far, the Port of Subic had already surpassed its annual collection goal as of last month with a surplus of more than P500,000.00.

Based on preliminary data, PoS collected a total of Php 25,822,750,322.23 revenue as of the last day of November 2020, which is 2.09 percent higher than its annual target of 25,293,015,679.17.

PoS also collected and recovered a cumulative amount of P439,002,071.78 thru its liquidation and Billing Unit from January to November 2020.

On top of this, the PoS, for the month of November, exceeded by 5.87 percent its assigned target or a surplus of P134,951,619.96 against the month’s target of Php 2,298,066,872.00.

Martin said that despite already hitting their 2020 target, “the Port will not relax and will continue to strengthen its collection efforts and enhance border security and protection.

For the month ending, Martin expressed confidence the PoS would be able to collect its assigned target of P2.36 billion.