BOC told to vacate current location

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs at the Port of Cebu has been directed to vacate its current location after its building was found “structurally unfit” following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

The BOC building, located at the Cebu International Port, reportedly sustained huge cracks, according to a report of the Office of the Building Official of Cebu City.

BOC District Collector Ronnie Silvestre said their head office directed them to look for a relocation site, but said that they cannot transfer to the old BOC building that has been converted into the Malacañang sa Sugbo.

Silvestre said they are saddened by the fact that they cannot transfer or go back to their own building.

"Yun nga ang nakakalungkot, we own the building and yet we cannot use it," Silvestre told The Freeman yesterday.

No reason reportedly accompanied the directive from the BOC head office, but in an earlier visit to Cebu, President Benigno Aquino III told the local media that he wants to convert the Malacañang sa Sugbo into a museum to boost Cebu’s cultural and historical heritage.

Silvestre said they are now scouting for an office space to transfer about 300 personnel handling at least 25 departments. They are reportedly considering a space near the BOC building at Pier 6.

Earlier, Silvestre asked BOC Commissioner Ruffy Biazon to allow them to transfer to the Malacañang sa Sugbo, after all, the bureau owns the building. Silvestre said this is a more practical move compared to repairing the current building.

Early on, BOC was forced to vacate its own building when former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo converted into the Malacañang sa Sugbo in 2004.

CPA had already sent notice to BOC-Cebu to vacate the CPA-owned building for the past several years.

CPA General Manager Dennis Villamor already wrote to Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, saying that considering that the old BOC office, which was converted into the Malacañang sa Sugbo, is now lying idle without any visible public use or benefit, it is high time and will be more advantageous to the government if BOC-Port of Cebu returns to its old office.

The CPA building being occupied by BOC has a monthly rental of P50,000.00. 

However based on the memorandum of agreement dated September 30, 2005, such rental was waived. The MOA also expired last September 30, 2010 and has not been renewed. – (FREEMAN)