Cuenco Nephew is New Cebu Customs Chief

The nephew of former Cebu City South Congressman Antonio Cuenco, Joaquin Cuenco Panis has been designated as the new officer-in charge of the Port of Cebu of the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

Customs Commissioner John Sevilla issued Customs Personnel Order (CPO) No.B-41-2015 naming Panis as OIC effective Mar. 1, 2015 replacing Gen. (ret.) Roberto Almadin as the later has been recalled to the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) where he is appointed as Director IV by Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino lll.

“In the interest of service and in compliance with relevant Civil Service rules and regulations on reassignments and designations, Mr. Joaquin C. Panis, is hereby designated as Officer-in-Charge, Port of Cebu, given the expiration of detail from the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) of Coll. Roberto T. Almadin,” a portion of Sevilla’s order read dated February 27, 2015.

Almadin’s detail order at the Bureau of Customs since November 2013 was by virtue of the creation of Office of Revenue Agency Modernization (ORAM) at the Department of Finance where the BoC is under its administrative and operational control.

Aside from being OIC Collector, Panis, 52, has also been designated as acting Chief of Assessment of the port.

In the simple turn-over ceremony that ensued, Panis, described in his acceptance speech his designation both as a Divine Intervention and challenge, and credited Almadin for making an institutionalized system.

Newly designated Port of Cebu OIC, Engr. Joaquin Cuenco Panis (left) with his bosom friend Customs examiner Abdullah Basher of the Subport of Mactan. (Contributed photo)

“Being designated as Officer in charge of this Port is Divine Intervention indeed. It may seen as a big task, but I look at it as a challenge to my customs career. Collector Almadin has molded the port to work efficiently as one big family. He institutionalized a system beyond compare.”

A mechanical engineer by profession from the Cebu Institute of Technology University (CIT-U) Panis who is a Customs Operations Officer-5 ( Principal Customs Appraiser) started his stint with customs in 1987 when his uncle then was considered very influential as it was the administration of former Pres. Corazon Aquino.

Former Cong. Cuenco was appointed then as Political Affairs Minister and later became the Deputy Speaker at the Lower House of Congress when he opted to become Cebu City legislator.

In a brief interview, Panis said he never expected his appointment. He said he was surprised when a known local businessman called and congratulated him on the supposed order of Sevilla.

“Honestly I am surprised. I never expected this but I will give it my best shot. This a challenge to my career,” he told MetroCebu News.

He said no immediate changes will happen. He will make consultation with the other officers of the port, he added.

Collector Almadin has been widely credited for surpassing the P12 Billion 2014 annual collection of the port. The 2015 collection target has been raised to P16 billion.

Almadin’s assumption of office through ORAM was by virtue of Executive Order (E.O.) No. 39 signed in September 2013 by Pres. Aquino where career customs collectors were put in a freezer through the issuance of another E.O. creating the Customs Policy Research Office (CPRO).