The Bureau of Customs said its preliminary report shows a revenue collection of P330.27 billion from January to 13 May 2024, exceeding its target of P317.87 billion by 3.90 percent, or P12.41 billion. This figure is 7 percent higher than the P308.65 billion collected in the same period last year.

BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio provided a comprehensive update on the bureau's accomplishments and ongoing initiatives across the agency's various operational areas during the Department of Finance's (DOF) Executive Committee meeting with the BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) which was held last Wednesday, 15 May 2024.

The BOC chief also gave his first-quarter report on import volume, which included both oil and non-oil items. He also presented all the updates on the Philippines Customs Modernization Project (PCMP), including details on its meetings with the World Bank, the initiative's next steps, and the status of VAT refund applications to the DOF.

The BOC's strengthened border protection resulted in 132 apprehensions in the first quarter, with total seizures of P28.02 billion. These seizures comprised general products, counterfeit goods, cigarettes, and tobacco, as well as numerous illegal narcotics discovered at different ports. Meanwhile, the gasoline marking program registered a total of 7.01 billion liters of fuel for the current calendar year, as well as P908.52 billion in fuel from 2019 to 9 May 2024.

During the meeting, the BOC recognized the significance of these efforts in safeguarding the country's financial stability and security, emphasizing that the agency will continue to improve its operations and policies to achieve these essential goals.

In a statement, Commissioner Rubio emphasized the BOC's ongoing commitment to its role in supporting DOF's mission, stating, "The BOC remains committed to contributing to DOF's goal of fostering national socioeconomic growth by collecting additional revenue for our fellow Filipinos and guarding the country's borders."