BOC releases P170-M rice shipment

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs office in Cagayan de Oro City cleared for release a shipment of more than 68,000 bags of rice, worth P170 million, from Vietnam after the BOC held it for more than a day.

BOC district collector Ruby Claudia Alameda said the consignee, Soda Enterprises of Iligan City, was able to produce all documents proving the shipment to be in order.

Earlier, the BOC intelligence group ordered held nine trucks of rice that were expected to arrive at the Port of Cagayan de Oro on Oct. 6 based on alert orders.

Alameda defended the alert orders, saying rice is one of the priority goods monitored by the government as regulated shipments.

Soda Enterprises has paid P33 million in customs duties and taxes before the shipment was held. It has been engaged in the rice retailing business for 25 years.