MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has called on officials and personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to prioritize public interest and work with honesty.
In a speech during the celebration of the BOC’s 123rd founding anniversary, the Chief Executive said the BOC’s achievements have helped the bureau gain the public trust anew.
“Sa lahat ng opisyal, inspektor, at kawani ng BOC: Lagi ninyong unahin ang kapakanan ng sambayanan. Gampanan ninyo ang inyong tungkulin ng buong katapatan at may malasakit sa inyong kapwa Pilipino,” Marcos said.
He added: “Nakabantay ang buong bayan. Kaya naman, patuloy tayong magsumikap para sa inimithing landas patungo sa Bagong Pilipinas.”
President Marcos also said that since the start of his administration, the BOC has been relentless in improving trade facilitation, noting that the bureau achieved a 96.99 percent digitalization rate, as of December 2024.
He said the digitalization of 161 of the 166 customs processes has enabled the BOC to “close the gaps that provided an avenue of corruption.”
“I shall be direct: Throughout its 123-year history, the Bureau of Customs has never had an easy time. Various controversies and corruption allegations have eroded the public’s trust. But we are changing that. We will allow your accomplishments to speak for themselves,” Marcos said.
The President also lauded the BOC for collecting P931 billion in 2024, higher by P40 billion than the P890 billion logged in 2023.
“These numbers are significant as they are used in the development of our educational systems, our infrastructure systems, and as you well know many, many more,” Marcos said.
Marcos also emphasized that aside from collecting revenue, the BOC continues to safeguard the Philippine borders against exploitation, seizing over P85 billion worth of smuggled goods in 2024, almost double the P43 billion recorded in 2023.
“Those encompassed large seizures of illegal vape products, counterfeit items, [and] unlawful fuel shipments. This will allow our businesses to compete more fairly in the market, and our consumers to enjoy more competitive prices, [and] our people will save money in the long run,” Marcos said./PN
