Cebu Customs may hold office in tents

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs in Cebu may be holding office in tents if they cannot find a building to house their more than 300 employees in one week.

The Cebu Port Authority is giving BOC Cebu to vacate their current building by August 31, 2013.

“Malaki ang income namin pero wala kaming bahay. Siguro kung wala talaga, there is no other option but we will make a tent city at doon na kami mag opisina temporarily,” said BOC Cebu District Collector Edward dela Cuesta when asked if they have found a new office.

BOC Cebu legal chief Dante Maranan said that in a letter, CPA clearly stated that they will be using the parking space as storage area.

The bureau is using the parking area for its clients and personnel.

“Maybe all clients should park at the mall near the bureau then they will just walk. It’s a form of exercise man sad hinoon na,” Maranan said in a jest.

Dela Cuesta added that he already informed the BOC head office about their situation and requested that they be allowed to hold office at their old building in Aduana.

BOC Cebu’s old building was converted into Malacañang sa Sugbo in 2004 during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Since 2010, the huge structure have become a white elephant.

While BOC, the country second biggest revenue generator is scouting for an office to house their employees in Cebu, the MSS is just being used as sleeping quarters of the Presidential Security Group.

“That building is owned by the bureau but they refuse to give it back to us,” dela Cuesta laments.

He added that he has asked for help from Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III.

Dela Cuesta said that he also considers temporarily holding office at the ground floor of the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.

The district collector has also appealed to CPA to give them more time to stay as the Department of Budget and Management has yet to release the budget for the rental of a new building.

President Benigno Aquino III already signed the contract of the P48 million rental for five years for the BOC-Cebu to transfer to the second floor of the Qimonda I.T. Center in the North Reclamation Area.

Aside from the P800,000 per month rental or P48 million for five years, another P20 million is needed for the partition of the office space and installation of computers.

Power and water cost is not included in the monthly rental as it is only for the office space rental.

It can be recalled that former BOC-Cebu District Collector Ronnie Silvestre requested BOC top officials that they be allowed to transfer to MSS as the current building sustained huge cracks after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas last year.

The 6.9 magnitude tremor caused damage on the Customs building as per inspection report by the Office of the Building Official of Cebu City.

CPA has been sending notices to BOC-Cebu to vacate the CPA-owned building for the past several years.

BOC is paying P50,000 monthly rental to the CPA for the building they are occupying.

However based on the memorandum of agreement signed between two parties dated September 30, 2005, such rental was waived.

The MOA already expired last September 30, 2010 and has not been renewed. (FREEMAN)