BOC-Cebu Exceeds January Collection Target by P219M

The Bureau of Customs-Port of Cebu (BOC-Cebu) has reported breaching the revenue target assigned for the month of January, with a revenue surplus of PHP219.27 million.

Cebu Customs District Collector Elvira Cruz told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that they were able to collect PHP2.73 billion, which is 8.74 percent higher than the PHP2.51-billion target.

“With only 21 working days in January, our revenue officers worked hard to ensure full collection of the target assigned to the Port of Cebu,” Cruz said.

According to the daily cash collection report submitted by BOC-Cebu Cash Division chief Conrado Abarintos, the E2M (electronic-to-mobile) collection in three different modes has contributed to the increased revenue collection performance of the port.

“Through the E2M collection system, the Port of Cebu was able to collect PHP2.153 billion,” Abarintos told the PNA.

He said importers can pay duties and taxes through E2M in three modes — E2M collection-advance payment in the main port in Cebu, in-house bank (Land Bank of the Philippines), and informal entries.

The Port of Cebu, he said, also recorded a promising collection performance of its two sub-ports, Mactan and Dumaguete. Mactan oversees the customs lane at the Mactan Cebu International Port (MCIA), while Dumaguete City collects customs revenues from consignees in Negros Oriental.

The sub-port of Mactan collected PHP98.7 million as against the PHP66.4 million monthly target while the sub-port of Dumaguete collected PHP438.3 million as against the PHP213.0 million target.

Meanwhile, BOC-Cebu Port Operations Division chief Reynaldo Leyson told the PNA that boarding officers are motivated to work with the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Quarantine in securing the borders and working as frontliners of the government in customs, immigration, and quarantine service to international vessels.

“Boarding officers come from the (port operations) division. They are the first impression of our Republic because they are the first Filipino officials to engage with the foreign crew of international cargo vessels that dock in our port,” Leyson explained. “Our positive vibration towards them (crew members) matters.” (PNA)