BOC eyes transfer of Cebu office

MANILA, Philippines - Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon has asked President Aquino to allow them to hold office in the original Customs building in Cebu, which was converted into the Malacañang of the South during the term of President Arroyo.

In a letter to the President, Biazon said the building currently being used by Customs Cebu has been severely damaged by the earthquake that hit the province in early February.

“We are afraid that even only a slight tremor might cause some portions of the building to collapse,“ he said.

The Cebu Customs office was relocated to a Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) warehouse at the Cebu Port area after its old building was converted into the Malacañang of the South.

The so-called Malacañang sa Sugbo has remained vacant for years already.

Cebu City’s Office of Building Officials (OBO) architect Fernando Opiñano and Enforcement Division head Pascual Gimenez have recommended to Cebu Customs officials to temporarily vacate the place.

For his part, Cebu customs collector Ronnie Silvestre said that even prior to the Feb. 6, 2012 earthquake, they already received an earlier notice from the PPA informing them of their forthcoming use of the building.

“The hurriedly done relocation of the BOC office to the PPA warehouse entailed a lot of sacrifices on our end. Before we were able to do some improvements in the old and cramped PPA warehouse, we had to endure the dark and poorly ventilated rooms and the hallways that were only good for one person,” Silvestre said.