By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Exhorting the men and women of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to uphold integrity, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the agency to remain a symbol of trust, honesty, and efficiency.
During the agency’s 122nd anniversary celebration at the Rizal Park Hotel on Tuesday (13 February 2024), Finance Secretary Ralph Recto also commended the BOC for its incredible dedication and valuable contributions to its mission.
“The President himself has specifically emphasized that we must ensure a future where the BOC remains a symbol of trust, honesty, and efficiency — principles that will nurture a thriving economic environment and form the bedrock of every Filipino’s aspirations,” Recto said.
The newly-appointed Finance chief highlighted the BOC’s role in upholding the integrity of international trade, protecting national interest, and promoting economic growth and stability.
Meanwhile, BOC Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip “Jet” Maronilla has expressed confidence that the agency will likely continue its streak of meeting its monthly goal collection in February.
The BOC has a collection goal of less than P70 billion this month of February.
Maronilla noted that since February is usually inventory season, it could affect the volume of imports.
“Usually during the Chinese New Year, there’s an inventory period of about two weeks, they do it in China. So it’s going to affect about two weeks of our collection. (Despite) the drop in the volume, we’re hoping to have a surplus still. We’re pretty confident that we’ll be able to meet the February target, even despite the drop in volume,” he said.
For his part, Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said the agency under his leadership is committed to meeting the collection goal of around P1 trillion this year.
“The BOC is geared up for intensified efforts in 2024. We are committed to working twice as hard to ensure that we meet and exceed our year-end revenue target,” Rubio said.
(el Amigo/MNM)
