MANILA -- The Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported collecting PhP106 billion in January this year, exceeding its target for the period.

“For this year, since we just started, for January we collected P106 billion – that is still ahead of the target so we’re on the right track,” BOC Deputy Commissioner Michael Fermin said in a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday.

“We have been efficiently collecting revenues especially with the higher target this year set by the DBCC,” Fermin said in referring to the Development Budget Coordination Committee, an inter-agency body under the National Economic and Development Authority tasked to set the government’s macroeconomic assumptions.

Fermin also mentioned BOC’s 2023 accomplishments, saying that in 2023, it collected PhP883.62 billion, exceeding the PhP874 billion target collection for 2023, or a surplus of about PhP9.45 billion.

Fermin also reported the agency’s ongoing efforts such as border control and protection, trade facilitation and filing of cases against erring individuals and companies.

He said the BOC recorded a total of 980 successful seizure operations – the highest in the record of the BOC with a total monetary value of P43.3 billion.

“Half of it or more than 50 percent are counterfeit goods ‘no – ito ‘yung fake na mga bags, shoes and other items; and followed by illegal drugs by P7 billion; and then, agricultural products and other general merchandise,” Fermin said.

“We also filed, for last year alone we have filed 90 criminal cases before the Department of Justice and 60 from which are agricultural smuggling ‘no. This year, we have filed another 13 cases sa Department of Justice,” he further said.

In terms of trade facilitation in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive for full digitalization, Fermin said they have already complied 97 percent of the BOC’s core processes.

This means fully automating and to streamlining the core processes of the agency, he said, adding the BOC has also developed and implemented some of the systems such as the eTravel system which could bring more convenience to the public. (PND)