Biazon challenges district ports to strive for int’l standards

MANILA, Philippines - Customs (BOC) Commissioner Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon is challenging all district ports in the country to follow the achievement of the Port of Batangas (POB) which was recently granted ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management systems and instituting world-class management systems standards.

Biazon said that other district ports could replicate the POB’s feat by putting place international standards in their management systems.

The BOC commissioner issued the challenge when he spoke during the the formal grant of the “ISO” (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2008 to the POB.

Also present during the event were certification officials of Technicher Ubervachungs Verein Sicant eventuddeutchland (TUV-SUD) led by country manager engineer Elaine Daylo.

The POB is the first customs office in the country that successfully complied with the ISO’s internationally-accepted standards on quality management systems.

 â€œIf the Port of Batangas can do it, why can’t the other district offices do it?” dared Biazon as he expressed full confidence that other district ports all over the country could achieve the feat of POB.

During the same occasion, the BOC chief took the opportunity to congratulate and give the port officers and employees, headed by Port collector Rene Benavides, a pat on the back for POB’s latest accomplishment which Biazon said should inspire other district offices to follow. 

Biazon said that the achievement made by the Port of Batangas would also help get rid of the stigma after the port was linked to the missing 2,000 container vans controversy in 2011.  

“The awarding of ISO 9001:2008 to the Port of Batangas also manifests the start of revolutionary reforms in the BOC towards providing quality service at its highest level,” the Customs chief said.

Meanwhile, Biazon, an ex-member of the House of Representatives, plans to ask his former colleagues to amend irrelevant provisions of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) to boost the Aquino government’s “Tuwid na Daan” campaign against smuggling.

“No less than our President Noynoy Aquino has been aggressive in the campaign against all forms of smuggling activities. We can be more successful and effective against this decades-old problem as soon as amendments are made,” Biazon said.

He stressed that those who engage in smuggling have already learned how to circumvent the law and even how to use the law to their own advantage.

Thus, it is high time that the antiquated law is revisited and revised, the commissioner said.

Biazon earlier led this year’s biggest destruction of fake high-end brands amounting to P300-million that were confiscated by operatives of the Intellectual Property Rights Division.  

“We will not allow the Philippines to be a dumping ground of counterfeit goods, if only to enhance the country’s competitiveness as an investor-friendly nation,” Biazon said.