Response of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Facilitating Cross-Border Movement of Essential Supplies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis that did not only affect humans but also the global economy, causing a lot of struggles in both the society and the government. The efficient facilitation of cross-border goods in situations like this is very essential as this provides access to food and other important goods. However, given the creation of the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 01-2020, an order expediting the clearance of relief consignments that enter the Philippines during a state of calamity, questions have been raised if the implemented facilitation of cross-border goods were effective or not. Anchoring from JAO No. 01-2020, the study aimed at measuring the works done by customs brokers in facilitating the cross-border movement of essential supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also assessed the level of effectiveness of the measures implemented by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in facilitating the cross-border movement of essential supplies during COVID-19 pandemic. Employing descriptive-survey design, and snowball non-random sampling technique, the study employed 31 customs brokers as respondents of the study. All respondents have transacted or handled essential supplies from the port of entry at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before and during the pandemic. Frequency count and weighted mean were used to analyze the data. Based on the results, the measures stated in JAO 01-2020 were rated “applied” by the respondents. Specifically, the Duty and Tax Treatment for Relief Consignments, the Expediting Clearance and Movement of Containers, and the Regular Processing of Relief Consignment during a Local State of Calamity were all rated "applied". While the Simplified Cargo Clearance Process for Relief Consignment was rated "highly applied". In term of effectiveness, the “Duty and Tax Treatment for Relief Consignments," the “Expediting Clearance and Movement of Containers," the "Simplified Cargo Clearance Process for Relief Consignment", and "the Regular Processing of Relief Consignment during a Local State of Calamity" were all rated “effective” by the respondents. These findings suggest that the measures indicated in JAO No. 01-2020 were effectively implemented by the customs brokers. However, there may be areas for improvement, particularly in streamlining processes and addressing logistical challenges to further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency in supply chain management during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.