Signing the agreement on the release of shipments after office hours are (sitting, from right): Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc. – Cebu chapter president Jose Jefferson Bajao, Bureau of Customs acting Cebu District Collector Rico Rey Francis “Koko” Holganza and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Melanie C. Ng. PISFA president Carmel De Pio-Salvador (sitting, left) OPASCOR representative Ann Page and other officials of Cebu Chamber witness the landmark agreement. (CONTRIBUTED)
The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. – Cebu Chapter (CCBI) to formalize the guidelines on the processing and release of shipments after regular office hours.
The guidelines cover the period 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Chamber president Melanie C. Ng, BOC acting Cebu Collector Rico Rey Francis Holganza and CCBI – Cebu chapter president Jose Jefferson Bajao signed the agreement on May 5.
In a statement, the chamber said the signing of the MOA provides security measures to assure that the provision of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP), as amended, and other related laws, rules and regulations will not be compromised and are strictly enforced.
The agreement was signed about two months after BOC Commissioner Bert Lina announced that the agency would be open 24 hours daily.