ASOG partners with the Bureau of Customs to improve customs governance through data analytics and citizens’ engagement

Early this year, the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) collaborated to develop a set of data-driven and reform-oriented governance tools which will aid the agency in revenue forecasting, port performance monitoring, and commodity analysis. These tools were crafted to assist the Bureau in its annual planning and budgeting exercises, especially in relation to setting revenue targets, mitigating shocks from national and international events, improving port performance, and monitoring commodity performance. 

On October 28 to 29, 2020, the partnership completed an important milestone with the official turnover of the “BOC-ASOG Governance Tool Suite”. The turnover ceremony was attended by Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and other key officials of BOC while the Ateneo group was represented by Fr. Joey Cruz,Vice President for University and Global Relations, Dr. Ronald U. Mendoza, Dean of ASOG and Ivy Baysic, Head of Ateneo Policy Center.

The launch and official turnover was followed by a series of online workshops on the utilization of the governance tools, led by Dr. Philamer Torio, ASOG Professor of Public Policy and Senior Research Fellow of the Ateneo Policy Center, Mr. Paul Neilmer Feliciano, Program Manager at the Ateneo Policy Center, as well as counterparts from the Office of the Commissioner of the BOC, led by Mr. Crisanto Brecia.

The 2-day event was capped off with  presentations from the Statistical Analysis Division and various district collectors on  how governance tools can be used to reflect actual economic conditions on the ground and project impact on revenues.
 
Moving forward, the Ateneo School of Government and the Bureau of Customs will continue to deepen this partnership  in aid of building a strong agency and serving society well. 

Watch the highlights here.