MICP X-ray seizes Motorcycles

          The MICP X-ray Field Office has recently detected two units of motorcycles of various brand and make hidden inside several balikbayan boxes as part of its intensified X-ray scanning operation on Informal Entry Shipments in connection with the recent developments which were publicized in the national newspapers that high-end motorcycles were smuggled into the country especially at the southern ports using allegedly balikbayan boxes.

           

            Based on the report submitted by MICP Field Officer and concurrent Luzon Area Supervisor Renato D. Palgan to XIP Head Atty. Ma. Lourdes V. Mangaoang, CEO VI, the smuggled used motorcycles were part and parcel of forty-footer shipment with Container Van. No. MSKU 1192217, declared as personal effects and household goods, consigned to Francisco Adriano et. al. / Ocean Star Freight Express, which arrived at MICP on June 2, 2011 from Hawaii. After the filing of import entry, the said shipment was subjected to X-ray inspection on June 9, 2011 by X-ray Inspector Felicito A. Acero in compliance with the memorandum of the Commissioner of Customs last May 30, 2011. However, during the image analysis of the shipment it showed that some suspicious undeclared items were maliciously hidden inside the inner portion of the container van that led to further verification of the shipment using the manual type of examination to ascertain the findings of X-ray printout copy. And it was discovered during the spot-checking conducted by the assigned customs examiners of the Informal Entry Division in the presence of the representatives from the customs brokerage firm and the XIP that the suspected items included one unit of fully assembled motorcycle and one unit disassembled (chop-chop) motorcycle placed inside several packages of balikbayan boxes, thus, the entire shipment was subjected to a hold order for a 100 percent physical examination.

            According to Renato D. Palgan, the latest apprehension of motorcycles inside a consolidation shipment shows the effectiveness and efficiency of non-intrusive inspection of container cargo using the X-ray scanner, unlike opening the container van and removing and inspecting all the almost 300 balikbayan boxes one by one and then returning them back to the container van which is both unrealistic and time-consuming considering that there are several hundreds consolidation shipments arriving daily from abroad.

MICP X-ray Facility to open soon

          With modern and fully furnished Satellite Office as well as an accessible spot-checking ramp exclusively for X-rayed shipments with suspicious items, located just beside its office, the new spacious MICP Container X-ray Facility which can accommodate six container X-ray machines that can be operational all at the same time will soon open anytime this month.

            The new X-ray facility, which is located inside the ICTSI Compound near the West Gate, covers approximately 8,000 square meters in total land area with parking space for container trucks that are subject for X-ray inspection.

            According to MICP Field Officer and Concurrent Luzon Area Supervisor, the new X-ray facility has been a result of the combine initiative and efforts of the leadership of the X-ray Inspection Project Head, Atty. Ma. Lourdes V. Mangaoang, CEO VI, and the MICP District Collector Engr. Ricardo R. Belmonte, CESO V, as well as through the painstaking negotiations made by the previous administration of MICP Field Officer Pedro Irineo D. Gutierrez and his men with the ICTSI Management.

“With the completion of many infrastructures needed for a decent container X-ray facility to operate which is comparable with any world-class container X-ray facility like the POM Field Office and after the approval for transfer from the Department of Health which is the regulatory agency of linear accelerator sources of radiation, then we can move to a much better facility anytime soon”, Palgan said.

The integrated X-ray facility that houses the container X-ray machines, a Satellite Office and a spot-checking ramp for truck-mounted examination of shipments with suspicious items, all conforms with the international best standards and practices in non-intrusive examination of cargoes. The MICP X-ray Field Office operates six days a week from Monday to Saturday and with business hours from 8:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the morning the following day. At present, it X-rayed an average of 200-250 container vans daily and it is expected to scan a bigger volume of containerized shipments with the opening of new container X-ray facility this month. And all its container X-ray machines are duly licensed with the Department of Health, which shows that they are all tested and safe for the use in cargo examination.

                                                                  

The New MICP Container X-ray Facility that can accommodate six container x-ray machines that can be operational all at the same time is now ready for full blast operation.     

The round the clock ongoing construction of Satellite Office, which is fully equipped with office furnishings and latest equipment is said to be the most modern x-ray satellite office not only in the country but also in the Asia Pacific Region.

The spot-checking ramp exclusive for x-rayed shipments located just beside the Satellite Office is accessible to the Customs examiners and brokers and can serve three containerized shipments for physical examination all at the same time.

BOCXOA awards winners of 3rd Chess Tourney

                    The 3^rd BOCXOA Chess Tournament has pushed its final checkmate move last June 7, 2011 in a simple yet memorable ceremony attended by the officers and members of the sponsoring organizations at the POM Field Office Lounge, with trophies and cash prizes were given to the top five winners, namely: Lorenzo Rupeta (champion), Raymond Linsangan (1^st runner-up), Loren Tabilog (2^nd runner-up), Joaquin Cagadas (3^rd runner-up) and Dante Frago (4^th runner-up).

            The tournament, which was jointly sponsored by the Bureau of Customs X-ray Operators Association, Inc., the Customs Gray Knights Brotherhood, Inc. and the BOC Chess Club, Inc., was held at the Social Room of the MICP Collection District during  the whole month of May using a Swiss type of competition participated in by more than thirty chess enthusiasts and players representating, Customs officials and employees, Customs brokers, and other port stakeholders.

           

            Meanwhile, the 1^st POM Field Office Tournament also concluded last May 11, 2011 with the following winners: Ernesto Loteyro (Champion, Dart), Randy Teniente (Champion, Table Tennis), Dante Padilla (Champion, Chess), and Mariecon Nolasco (Champion, Sing-along). The tournament in various fields of events was made to strengthen the camaraderie and to develop a healthy mind and body among the officers and personnel in the X-ray Inspection Project.

 The 1^st XIP POM Office Tournament Winners. The winners of the 1^st XIP-POM Office Tournament pose for a picture of posterity. Shown on the picture are MICP Field Officer and concurrent Luzon Area Supervisor Renato Palgan, Dante Padilla (Chess, Champion), Ernesto Loteyro (Dart Champion), Randy Teniente (Table Tennis Champion), Mariecon Nolasco (Sing-along Champion) and Asst. Chief-of-Staff Atty. Danilo Campos, Jr.

The 3^rd BOCXOA Chess Tourney Winners with the BOCXOA Prexy and the guest speaker of the ceremony. Standing left to right: BOCXOA President and BOXCOA Multi-Purpose Cooperative Chairman Renato Palgan, 1^st Runner-up Raymond Linsangan, Champion Lorenzo Rupeta, 4^th Runner-up Joaquin Cagadas, 5^th Runner-up Dante Frago, 2^nd Runner-up Loren Tabilog and Asst. Chief-of-Staff Atty. Danilo Campos, Jr.