Bureau of Customs 114th anniversary

THE Bureau of Customs ( BOC), one of the Philippine government’s revenue- collecting agencies marks its 114th anniversary today. The BOC, under the Department of Finance, assesses and collects customs revenues, facilitates trade in a secured manner, and implements relevant technology for effective customs management aligned with international best practices and standards. In 2015, the BOC utilized the Electronic Zone Transfer System ( e- ZTS). Thru this electronic system, the BOC was able to define the role of its personnel, and simplify the process of goods transfer between Ecozone Logistics Service enterprise ( ELSE) facilities and partner Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) locators. The e-ZTS allows Customs and PEZA authorities to monitor, in real- time, the transfer and movement of tax-and duty-free goods among ecozones, thereby reducing the possibility of illegal transfers and withdrawals.

The precursor of the BOC, the Philippine Customs Service, dates back to the time before explorers reached the Philippines. Trade was flourishing using the barter system of commodities and “datus” or “rajahs” who ruled the barangays collected tributes from the traders. This practice of collecting tributes became an integral part of their culture and was later observed and followed as the Customs Law of the Land.

When the Spanish colonial authorities came, they established a Tariff Board that initially charged a 10 percent tariff on all imported goods, and later imposed specific duties on all imports and on certain exports. This was in effect until 1891. When the Americans came to the Philippines, the Military Government continued to enforce the Spanish Tariff Code of 1891, which remained in effect until the Philippine Commission enacted the Tariff Revision Law of 1902.

The customs laws of the country continued to evolve over the years. In 1957, Congress enacted the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 1937. Many years later, on February 4, 1965, the Bureau of Customs was reorganized by Customs Administrative Order No. 5-65 by Sec. 550 and 551 of the Revised Administrative Code of Republic Act 4164. A series of reorganization took place in the years that followed. The last major reorganizations of the Bureau took place in 1986 after the EDSA Revolution with the issuance of Executive Order No. 127, which expanded the organization umbrella of the Central Office by providing offices that would monitor and coordinate assessment and operations of the Bureau and provided for a staff of about 5,000. The implementation of the computerization program required the creation of the Management Information System and Technology Group under a new Deputy Commissioner with 92 positions was authorized under Executive Order No. 4673 dated January 9, 1998.

We congratulate the Bureau of Customs for its effort to implement accurate and timely revenue collection and for ensuring that its services are responsive to the imperatives of growth and development of the Filipino people and the Republic of the Philippines.