MANILA — The Bureau of Customs on Saturday said it is set to release P1.3 billion pesos in bonuses to its regular employees for surpassing the collection target in 2018.

The approval and release of the bonus "took time" because the collections had to be confirmed and go through the process, said Marlon Agaceta, chief of staff of Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.

"As long as pasok sa 6 month period na dapat you are an employee, kahit na retired ka na, you will be receiving the reward," he said in a news forum.

"We are positive enough that those rewards will be distributed before the end of the year," he said.

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The reward is given to employees in 2018, when the agency surpassed its P584.88-billion target.

"The distribution will be based on the duty of the worker and salary grade, prorated," he said, noting that there are some 3,000 Customs employees and officers who would get portions of the fund.

"It will depend sa salary grade na hawak mo at that time at yung port na hawak mo at that time," he said.

Meanwhile, Agaceta said that the BOC has also reached its target of P795.96-billion from January to November this year after the agency collected P813.65 billion during the said period.

This amount is P24.05 billion higher than the same collection period in 2022, he said.

"Values are strictly being monitored, thus there is an increase in collection despite the lower volume of goods," he said.

"With the intensified smuggling drive, nagiging mas compliant ang importers," he added.

The BOC collection also improved due to intensified anti-smuggling operations, Agaceta said.

In the first 11 months of 2023, the BOC seized P42.49-billion worth of smuggled goods, the official said.

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Over half of the seized goods were counterfeit items amounting to P24.36 billion, while illegal drugs intercepted in ports totaled P7.58 billion, he said.

Other smuggled items in the Philippines include agricultural products, cigarettes, tobacco and other general merchandise items.