THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) collected revenues of P17.2 billion in May, up 41% more than the P12.2 billion collected last year. The May collection also surpassed by 4.3% or P702 million the target of P16.5 billion for the month. The May figure brought total collections for the first five months to P75.8 billion, 6% or P4.14 billion higher than the target of P71.7 billion. The January-May collection is also 36% higher than P55.8 billion the BOC posted last year. Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said he may reassign district collectors who failed to meet their targets. Morales, citing the implementation of the Lateral Attrition Law on June 14, said eight collectors will have to explain why they failed to meet their targets. The collectors, he said, may go through a grading process before being transferred. They are Carlos So of the Manila International Container Port (MICP), Ricardo Belmonte of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Lourdes Mangaoang of Cebu, William Reyes of Surigao, Roberto Sacramento of Cagayan de Oro, John Tan of Davao, Andres Salvacion of Subic and Atty Ronnie Silvestre of Clark. The Manila International Container Port missed its target by 23.3%; Cebu by 24.2%; Cagayan de Oro, 51.5%; and Zamboanga, 37.5%. Surigao, NAIA, and Subic and Clark, missed theirs by more than 7.5% each. Port districts which exceeded their goals include San Fernando, Manila, Batangas, Legaspi, Iloilo, Tacloban and Davao. The district of Iloilo posted the highest performance with collections growing 661.5% from its target followed by the district of Tacloban which collected 30% more than its P30-million target, and the district of Batangas which raked in 25% higher than its goal.
