5 new Customs execs assume posts

MANILA – Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña has appointed four new district collectors as part of the major reshuffle in the bureau.

Carmelita "Mimel" Talusan, former district collector of Port of Subic, formally assumed as the new district collector of Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday. She replaced former collector lawyer Vincent Philip Maronilla.

Lawyers Ma. Liza Sebastian of the Revenue Collection Monitoring Group and Lyceo Martinez of Compliance Monitoring Unit were also appointed as district collector of Port of Surigao and Port of Zamboanga, respectively.

They replaced the former Surigao collector Lilibeth Mangsal and Zamboanga collector lawyer Jesus Balmores. Mangsal is the new acting deputy collector for operations of Port of Cebu.

The bureau chief said the former collectors were relieved after failing to meet the February target collection.

Lapena earlier issued a strict directive to intensify collection performance and ordered the relief of district collectors who will not reach the February target.

A total of 14 of the 17 collection districts have exceeded the target which resulted in a collection of P43.674 billion against the P41.709 billion target last month, or a surplus of P1.965 billion.

Meanwhile, former NAIA Deputy Collector for Passenger Services Arsenia Ilagan has officially assumed as district collector of Port of Legazpi, replacing former collector lawyer Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang.

Mangaoang is now the NAIA Deputy collector for Passenger Services.

"Her [Mangaoang] assumption in NAIA as deputy collector is not due to poor performance in revenue collection but for her to take a bigger responsibility," Lapeña said in a statement.

Mangaoang's reassignment to NAIA Passenger Service is expected to boost the revenue collection of the port.

The Customs chief also swore into office Director Jessie Cardona of the Anti-Terrorism Council Program Management Center as head of the bureau's Account Management Office.

"He is one of my trusted men in the public service and I know he will resolve the issues in the Account Management Office in no time," Lapena said. (PNA)