Customs office in Bicol exceeds collection target

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—The Bureau of Customs in Bicol announced Thursday it surpassed its collection goal for the first half of this year by almost 100 percent, propelled by export and import customs duties paid by mining companies in the region.

Bureau of Customs regional chief Titus Sangil said his unit collected P113.3 million in customs duties from January to June this year, way above the P56.7 million collection target.

Sangil said the amount was 57.02 percent higher than the collection during the same period in 2010, which totaled P44.08 million.

Sangil said that during the first half of this year exports from the Bicol region reached $163,118,001, an increase of $76,259,304  from last year’s $86,858,696.72 or an 87.80 percent increase due to greater  mineral exports by three companies operating in Bicol.

These companies are the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project (RRPI) operated by the Rapu-Rapu  Minerals Incorporated (RRMI) in Albay; Masbate Gold Project, by Filmenera Resource Corp. in Aroroy, Masbate; and the Good Found Cement Corporation in Camalig, Albay.

He said the booming mining industry in Bicol  largely contributed to the steady growth in the collection of taxes from its export of gold, copper, zinc and other minerals.

Sangil said that despite the smaller number of vessel arrivals this year—only 57 vessels docked at Bicol ports— and lower volume of cargo, the regional customs office collected more  duties due to the higher value of the commodities that arrived and the higher rates of duties and taxes assessed on the exported mineral products.