By September, stakeholders will have more time to complete their transactions with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as the agency starts to implement a 12-hour work schedule and “no-noon break policy” in all ports and sub-ports nationwide to optimize its service to the public.
Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina said that by next month, regular work hours in all ports will start from 7 a.m. and end 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday without noon break.
“We intend for the ber-months to pass by smoothly without any reports of port congestion. There will be no regular non-working holidays for us in the bureau leading to Christmas,” Lina said in a statement. The “ber” months pertain to months in the last quarter of the year beginning with September.
Division chiefs will be responsible for arranging the work schedule of each staff so there will be no interruption of service, he said.
Lina instructed district and port collectors to directly coordinate with arrastre operators and other stakeholders at their ports and sub-ports and gain their full support for the longer work hours.
The longer work hours will see the staff divided into two shifts: the first shift will work from 7 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a lunch break of 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the second shift will serve from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with lunch break of 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
In order to enhance delivery of services and ensure the smooth processing of documents, BOC said it will strictly implement the Civil Service Commission’s mandate directed towards government agencies providing front line services.
Lina added: “We’re in the last quarter of the game with only a few months left in the (Aquino) administration. But with the right foundation and enough willpower, anything is possible. We can deliver private sector competitiveness to the public sector. Wait and see.”
The Office of the Commissioner and the divisions under it, meanwhile, will retain regular work hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “except that services will be rendered continuously,” BOC said. – Roumina Pablo
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