QUEZON CITY, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has reported a significant revenue surplus for the first quarter of 2024, surpassing its collection target by PHP8.489 billion. During a press conference at the Saturday News Forum, BOC Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla announced that the agency collected a total of PHP219.385 billion during this period.
According to Philippines News Agency, the surplus was bolstered by voluntary payments from companies participating in the bureau’s prior disclosure program, which contributed approximately PHP1.88 billion, marking the highest quarterly total in the history of the Bureau of Customs. Additionally, audit findings contributed about PHP89 million, and public auctions generated around PHP3.8 million in revenue.
Maronilla also highlighted the ongoing challenges with smuggling, noting that in 2023, the BOC seized PHP48 billion worth of smuggled goods, including cigarettes, intellectual property rights goods, local brands, agricultural products, and medicines. "Cigarette smuggling has significantly increased and has become one of the most smuggled items," he said. From January to March 2024, the bureau confiscated PHP11.8 billion worth of goods, indicating a strong start towards one of the largest hauls of smuggled products in recent years.
On the technology front, Maronilla reported that the BOC's digitalization process is nearly complete, with 96.99% of its processes now digitalized. This includes 161 out of 166 customs processes. "The remaining processes to be digitalized involve inter-linkages with other government agencies, which are pending upgrades to their digital systems," he explained. The primary goal of digitalization is to minimize face-to-face transactions, reducing opportunities for corruption.
However, the bureau is also addressing security concerns following a recent breach in its systems. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Privacy Commission are investigating the incident, which affected significant portions of the BOC’s systems, including the auction and disposal system, pre-payment system, internal system, and customer care portal. Maronilla assured that security measures have been strengthened to prevent further breaches and misuse of information within the Customs system.