BOC chief names new district collectors in 3 ports

BOC spokesperson, Erastus Sandino Austria, was appointed as head of the Manila International Container Port, replacing Filemon Mendoza Jr. who was transferred to the Compliance Monitoring Unit (CMU). (File Photo By PhotoPhilia/Wikimedia commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero on Tuesday named new district collectors in three ports in the country.

BOC spokesperson, Erastus Sandino Austria, was appointed as head of the Manila International Container Port, replacing Filemon Mendoza Jr. who was transferred to the Compliance Monitoring Unit (CMU).

Customs officials transferred to CMU are tasked to help craft policies for the agency.

The MICP accounts for 30 percent of the total revenue target of the BOC.

Meanwhile, Port of Subic (POS) District Collector Rhea Gregorio and Port of Manila (POM) District Collector Maritess Martin have exchanged posts.

“The Commissioner wants MICP and POM fixed (because) they are the two major Metro Manila ports,” the new MICP head said in a statement.

Austria said the marching orders to them by the BOC chief were “to address all issues and concerns in the port; hit the target; and of course, safeguard our borders against smuggling of contraband.”

As head of POS, Gregorio surpassed the collection target last year after collecting PHP22.34 billion, with a surplus of PHP1.71 billion or 5.5 percent more than its assigned target amounting to PHP20.63 billion.

For this year, the BOC’s collection target is at PHP662 billion. The figure is higher than its revenue target last year at PHP584 billion.

In 2018, majority or 14 out of the 17 collection districts have surpassed their assigned revenue collection targets.

The three ports that failed to meet their collection target were MICP, POM and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.