DOTC to help BOC reacquire own bldg

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has promised the Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Cebu that it would not be kicked out from the building it is currently occupying until it can find another place to stay.

“We cannot kick out another government agency na walang pupuntahan (that has nowhere to go). That would be very, very difficult because it will backfire on the operations of the port,” DOTC undersecretary Julianito Bucayan, Jr. said in a press conference yesterday.

The Cebu Port Authority has given the BOC a final notice giving it until February next year to leave the building.

But Bucayan said that if BOC-Cebu will leave the CPA-owned building, shipping companies and other stakeholders would suffer more.

“We may help in convincing Malacañang or the Office of the President to allow Customs to go back to their own building,” Bucayan added.

The old customs house was converted by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo into the Malacañang sa Sugbo in 2004. The century-old structure, however, has remained unused since 2010.

Meanwhile, BOC-Cebu Officer-in-charge (OIC) Paul Alcazaren provided The FREEMAN a copy of their September collection showing the bureau hit more than its assigned target of P746.5 million.

Actual collection for the month totaled P1.11 billion, or 48.72 percent (P363.7 million) more than the target.

Customs leadership in different ports in the country is in limbo after Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon earlier issued several memoranda reassigning all personnel.

For his part, Alcazaren, former Mactan sub-port collector, said the moment he receives a Customs Personnel Order for him to relinquish his present post, he would step down right away.

But as of now, he said, he has no choice but to perform as district collector in view of Biazon’s memorandum.  Alcazaren assumed as OIC district collector last Monday.—(FREEMAN)