BUSINESSMAN Angelito Alvarez will take over as Customs Commissioner today, replacing Napoleon Morales who served as commissioner for six years under the Arroyo administration.
The turnover ceremony is set this morning at the BOC Social Hall with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima expected to administer Alvarez’s oath of office.
Prior his appointment as BOC chief, the 52-year-old Alvarez was president and chief operating officer of Airfreight 2100, the former local licensee of Federal Express Inc. He was also president of BK Titans, Inc, the owner of Perf Restaurants Inc, which in turn is the master franchisee of Burger King Philippines.
Alvarez chaired the Board of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) 2009-2010 Season, and was president of the PBA Air21 team.
At Air21, Alvarez reported directly to Air21 chairman Alberto Lina, who himself was once Customs commissioner during the Arroyo administration. Lina resigned as Customs commissioner in July 2005 with nine other high-ranking government officials at the height of the Hello Garci controversy. They enjoined former President Arroyo to follow suit. The resigned officials are now known as the Hyatt 10.
The new BOC chief is an accountant by training, having been earlier affiliated with accounting firm SGV, where he worked with Secretary Purisima.
Alvarez was also president of Sumisho Global Logistics Philippines Inc., a joint venture company of Airfreight 2100 Inc with Sumitomo Corp, Sumisho Global Logistics of Japan and Transworld Shipping Corp.
He is an AFP Reservist and has affiliations with the Makati Business Club, European Chamber of Commerce, American Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Australian- New Zealand Chamber of Commerce.
Alvarez is a director and shareholder of E-Konek Pilipinas, Inc, a BOC-accredited value-added service provider. Lina and another former Customs Commissioner Guillermo Parayno are chairman and president, respectively, of E-Konek.
Parayno himself has been appointed undersecretary of the Department of Finance in charge of revenue generation.
Alvarez joins the BOC at a time when the agency has a P7.3-billion surplus from January to June.
For the period, the agency collected P131.19 billion, 5% higher than its target of P124.05 billion.
For the whole of 2010, the BOC is tasked to collect P275.68 billion although this will likely be increased by another P5 billion.
Earlier, former Commissioner Morales warned his replacement of hard times ahead because the assumptions for collection do not reflect the true state of the local and global economies.
