Field Inspection of Customs X-ray Facilities

         To ensure that X-ray scanning inspection of containerized cargoes are carried out in accordance with the Customs rules and regulations and in compliance with the Customs Radiation Safety Manual as well as to ensure that the directives of the XIP Head are fully implemented, MICP Field Officer and concurrent Luzon Area Supervisor Renato D. Palgan has conducted an ocular inspection last week on the container X-ray facilities at the Port of Subic in Zambales and the Port of Clark in Pampanga.

            The inspection was also made to check the on-going construction of X-ray facility at the said ports to ensure that radiation safety requirements and specifications are met.

            “ Considering that more than half of the total 30 container X-ray scanning machines of the Bureau of Customs are deployed at the major ports of entry in Luzon Area it is an imperative that these state-of-the-art equipment are fully utilized by our operatives with utmost efficiency and effectiveness in our anti-smuggling campaign”, Palgan said.

            The Port of Manila and the Manila International Container Port (MICP) have a combined 13 container X-ray machines while the Port of Subic and Port of Clark have 2 machines each respectively.

MICP Field Officer and concurrent Luzon Area Supervisor Renato D. Palgan (at left), with Port of Subic Field Officer Filemon Obejas (at right), inspects the on-going construction of the Port of Subic Satellite Office located at the New Container Terminal Road, ICTSI, inside the Subic Free Port in Olongapo City.

With XIP Inspector Paul Jorda, Luzon Area Supervisor Renato Palgan makes an on-site visit at one of the mobile container X-ray machines at the Port of Clark in Pampanga.

3 X-ray Personnel attend training in Malaysia

                   To update their expertise and knowledge on the latest issues and trends on radiation safety, three personnel of the X-ray Inspection Project of the Bureau of Customs, namely, Radiation Safety Officer Renato D. Palgan, Field Officer Pedro Irineo D. Gutierrez, and POM X-ray Inspector John Mar Morales, have attended recently an international seminar on radiation safety in Langkawi, Malaysia, last July 12-14, 2011.

            Entitled “6^th International Symposium on Radiation Safety and Detection Technology”, the international gathering was aimed to address the latest issues and concerns among radiation safety experts, professionals, and practitioners on wide array of topics such as radiation transport and shielding, radiation dosimetry, radiation detection and sensor technology, environmental radiation measurement and assessment, radiological risk management, radiation protection philosophy, and radiation education and training.

            According to Radiation Safety Officer Renato D. Palgan, “the topics and issues raised during the seminar were very timely considering the awareness, doubts, and skepticisms of the world on the hazardous effects of radiation as what happened to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant incident in Japan. The sharing of information among radiation safety experts and practitioners certainly gave us fresh and relevant knowledge on how we can still improve our radiation safety procedures in our own X-ray facilities and in handling of cargo found to contain regulated radioactive substance during our X-ray scanning operation. And we are indeed very grateful to the BOC Commissioner Angelito A. Alvarez and the XIP Head Atty. Ma. Lourdes V. Mangaoang for making radiation safety as one of their primary concerns in our X-ray facilities’ operational matters”.

It may be recalled that the Bureau of Customs has acquired thirty container X-ray machines from China as part of its modernization program in the conduct of examination of cargo. These machines were deployed in the major ports of entry in the country and all of them were duly licensed by the Department of Health (DOH) to be used and operated by the BOC after they had passed the stringent requirements and tests conducted by the DOH personnel as part of its regulatory function in the use of linear accelerator-sourced of radiation.

The BOC delegates to the Sixth International Symposium on Radiation Safety and Detection Technology held in Langkawi, Malaysia on July 12-14, 2011, pose for a picture of posterity in front of Awana Porto Malai Hotel. Left to right: POM X-ray Inspector John Mar Morales, POM Field Officer Pedro Irineo D. Gutierrez, and XIP Radiation Safety Officer Renato D. Palgan.

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.

Radiation Safety Experts inspect POM X-ray Facility

The danger of having nuclear radioactive materials contaminated shipments entering the country as a result of a nuclear facility disaster in Fukushima, Japan has underscored the importance of high-tech detection equipment of the Bureau of Customs like the container x-ray machines, which has a built-in radioactive monitoring system, to calm down the concerns of the local consumers.

            This develop as group of radiation safety experts coming from the Department of Health and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, headed by Ma. Gladys R. Cabrera of the Bureau of Health and Devices Technology and Estrella Caseria of the Radiation Protection Service, respectively, has inspected just recently last April 15, 2011 the radiation monitoring system of the customs container x-ray machines of their capabilities to detect nuclear radioactive materials inside containerized shipments.

            According to POM Field Officer and concurrent BOC Radiation Safety Officer Renato Palgan, the regular inspection was made after Atty. Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang, the Head of X-ray Inspection Project, wrote a letter to the Director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute to assess the standards of the radiation monitoring devices of the BOC to ensure that radioactive-contaminated shipments are apprehended at the port of entries before they are release by Customs officers.

              Palgan added, “although initial findings showed that the machines can indeed detect the radioactive sample sources brought by the radiation safety experts, we still have to wait for their formal scientific report that would be submitted to us soon by them and it was observed during the test that the system alarms every time a radioactive substance passes through the detector.”

He further added that as a safety measures for its personnel, the X-ray Inspection Project has been provided by the PNRI with a radiation film badge and Thermo-luminescent Device (TLD) to gauge their respective radiation dose.

Aside from radioactive substance, the x-ray machines have also detected drugs, explosives and other dangerous chemicals in the past and instrumental in the collection for payment of additional duties and taxes of highly dutiable shipments after x-ray scanning inspection.

Radiation Safety Experts from the Department of Health and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute inspect the customs container x-ray machines at the Port of Manila on April 15,2011 to check their capabilities to detect radioactive materials inside containerized shipments especially those coming from Fukushima, Japan, which experienced lately a worst nuclear waste disaster, from entering into the country. Shown from left to right are POM Field Officer and Customs Radiation Safety Officer Renato D. Palgan, Ma. Teresa A. Salabit of PNRI, Vincent Dalin of DOH, Radiation Protection Service Head Estrella Caseria of PNRI, Bureau of Health and Devices Technology Head Ma. Gladys R. Cabrera of DOH, Eileen Hernandez of PNRI, Ronald Piquero of PNRI, Kristine Marie Romallosa of PNRI, Julie Cruz of DOH, X-ray Inspector Romel Enriquez and X-ray Inspector Sevilliano Pelayo, both from Bureau of Customs.

BOCXOA to hold 3rd BOC Chess Tourney

As part of its continuing tradition to promote camaraderie and goodwill among customs officials, employees, brokers and other port stakeholders, the Bureau of Customs X-ray Operators Association, Inc. (BOCXOA), in cooperation with the Customs Grayknights Brotherhood, Inc. and the Bureau of Customs Chess Club, Inc., will sponsor a chess tournament from April 25 to May 20, 2011 which will be held at the MICP Law Division Office. The tournament will be its third since the organization started holding the annual affair in 2009.

BOCXOA President and BOCXOA Multi-Purpose Cooperative Chairman Renato Palgan said that the chess tournament is a regular sport fest of the association as part of its program in promoting the well-being among the customs personnel especially the ranks of customs x-ray operators.

“We choose the chess tournament from among other sports events simply because playing chess is like developing the image analysis skills of our x-ray inspectors wherein you must have a good grasp of mental images of shipments for you to detect any misdeclaration and anomaly inside the shipment, just like having a keen analysis of your opponent’s next moves to win a chess game. And in both cases, all your brain faculties must be functioning extremely well to become a winner in a chess game and a top caliber, world-class x-ray inspector on image analysis,” Palgan said on the holding of annual chess tournament.

He likewise invited all chess enthusiasts in the customs community to participate by registering at the POM X-ray Field Office or the MICP Law Division.

The BOCXOA is an association of technically-trained customs officials and personnel on how to properly operate the x-ray machines and they are duly recognized by the Department of Health, which is the regulatory agency in the use of linear accelerator source of radiation, while the Customs Grayknights Brotherhood, Inc. is a social organization of former cadets and graduates of the Philippine Military Academy who are working with the Bureau of Customs.

Officers of the sponsoring organizations of the upcoming 3^rd BOCXOA Chess Tournament which will start on April 25, 2011 pose for a picture of posterity at the office of POM Field Officer Renato D. Palgan. Left to right: Bambi Purisima, publisher of the Manila Sun Newspaper; Julius Mates (PMA Class ’95), Secretary-General of the Customs Grayknights Brotherhood, Inc.; Renato Palgan (PMA Class ’88), President of the Bureau of Customs X-ray Operators Association, Inc. (BOCXOA) and the Customs Grayknights Brotherhood, Inc.; and Atty. Manuel Relorcasa, Chief of the MICP Law Division and the Chairman of the Customs Chess Club, Inc. The BOCXOA Chess Tournament, which is an annual sport event in the Bureau of Customs, participated in by chess enthusiasts among customs officers and personnel and other port stakeholders, is also supported by the Customs Chess Club and the Customs Grayknights Brotherhood, an organization of former cadets and alumni of the Philippine Military Academy who are working with the Bureau of Customs.