The Port of Subic announced on Saturday it has exceeded its P2.09-billion revenue goal for the month of September by more than P92 million.
According to Subic district collector lawyer Rhea Gregorio, her port collected more than P2.18 billion in revenue from Sept. 3 to 28, two days before the month end.
Gregorio said last Thursday or three days before the end of September, Port of Subic already surpassed its monthly collection target by generating a total revenue of P2.114 billion.
“This despite the adjustment of target from P1.87 billion to P2.095 billion. It is also an increase of 88 percent from last year’s collection for the same period,” she said.
Gregorio said the positive and “laudable performance of the Port of Subic in ensuring that proper and correct duties and taxes are assessed and collected from import shipments is essential in meeting the collection target.”
“The port’s achievement is likewise attributed to the concerted effort of the men and women of Port of Subic to continuously adhere to the Stop Corruption campaign of the Commissioner,” she added.
In February, Commissioner Isidro Lapeña Jr. came up with a memorandum stating that all district collectors, deputy collectors for assessment, chief of Formal Entry Division, examiners, appraisers and all personnel in charge of assessment of the collection districts who failed to meet the target will be relieved.
Lapeña designated Gregorio early this month in Port of Subic, replacing district collector Segundo Barte Jr. who failed to meet the revenue goal for the month of August.
In attaining the monthly revenue goal, Gregorio initiated a reform and impose new policy in Subic and pursued a strategic partnership with its stakeholders through constant dialogue and communication, which resulted to an increase in volume of importation by 50.52 percent compared last year.
Two weeks ago, Gregorio also led the destruction of P1.5 million worth of used clothing, locally known as ukay-ukay, and other abandoned goods in Guiguinto, Bulacan.
The prohibited items were shredded and disposed of at Epy Eco Auction and Waste Disposal Services, the accredited service provider of the Port of Subic for the condemnation of contrabands and abandoned goods.
Gregorio said the used clothing and used tires as well as the assorted merchandise were abandoned by the consignees and have been consequently forfeited in favor of the government.
Republic Act 4653 entitled “An act to safeguard the health of the people and maintain the dignity of the nation by declaring it a national policy to prohibit the commercial importation of textile articles commonly known as used clothing and rags” prohibits the importation of ukay-ukay while the Letter of Instruction No. 1086, s. 1980 prohibits the importation of used tires.
The importation of “ukay-ukay” (used clothes) is banned also to secure the consumers from the risk of catching contagious diseases from contaminated smuggled used clothing smuggled from abroad.
Aside from the health risks that come with the importation of used clothing, the local garment manufacturing industry is also complaining that the proliferation of “ukay-ukay” in the local market is affecting the viability of their industry.