The Bureau of Customs has recently undergone a change in leadership with the aim of improving its collection performance.
Commissioner Bien Rubio ordered the transfer of Port of Manila district collector Maritess Martin to Port of Davao, replacing Guillermo Pedro Francia who was reassigned to Port of Limay.
Martin was replaced by Manila International Container Port deputy collector for assessment Rizalino Jose Torralba, who in turn was replaced by Batangas deputy collector for operations Filemon Mendoza Jr.
Port of Limay collector Alexandra Lumontad replaced Port of Cagayan de Oro collector Erastus Sandino Austria who was reassigned to Port of Clark.
Port of Subic collector Carmelita Talusan replaced X-ray Inspection Project chief Giovanni Imaysay who was transferred as district collector of Port of Iloilo.
Batangas port of operations division chief Gerard Turiano was promoted as deputy collector for operations while Port of Clark collector Ricardo Morales replaced Cebu port collector Ciriaco DG Ugay who was transferred to Subic.
The revamp took effect on Aug. 3 and was approved by Finance secretary Benjamin Diokno.
This was the second reorganization made by Rubio since he assumed post in February. The reshuffle is part of the government’s efforts to enhance revenue collections and ensure that the bureau is operating efficiently.
The new leadership, according to Rubio, is expected to bring new ideas and strategies to the table, which will hopefully result in better outcomes for the bureau.
In June, the agency collected P74.861 billion in duties and taxes, up by P140 million as against its assigned target of 74.721 billion for the month.
Based on the report from the Bureau of Treasury, the BOC’s June collection brought the agency’s total collections from January to June to P434.169 billion which is higher by P13.505 billion or 3.21% more than the P420.66 billion assigned revenue target.
The figure reflects a P37.434 billion growth compared to the previous year.
The increase in revenue was achieved despite the challenges in importation volume, which is negative 2.8% this year for high-value commodities.
“We will continue to uphold our commitment to transparency, accountability, and service excellence as we strive to meet our revenue targets and contribute to the growth and development of our country,” said Rubio.