The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will add scanning equipment at the Port of Manila (POM) and the Manila International Container Port (MICP) to boost the percentage of containers for scanning to 40% from the current 10%.
After a while, the scanning ratio will be cut to more acceptable international levels. The accepted international standard for container scanning is 8-10% of the total container throughput.
"We have already pulled out scanning machines from the Cebu and Batangas ports and had them transferred to MICP and POM," Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez said.
At the moment, BOC has five x-rays stationed at POM but only four are being used; five are also with the MICP but only two in operation due to space constraints.
Berth 6, which is under construction at the Manila International Container Terminal, will host some of the additional x-ray machines.
The berth is set to open by the first quarter next year.
BOC will station at least 18 machines at the POM and MICP, or more than half of the 30 machines deployed by the agency in 2007.
Under Alvarez, the BOC has seized about P35 billion worth of smuggled and forfeited goods, thanks in part to the operation of scanning equipment.
