The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said only duties and taxes can be waived by consignees for donated imported goods.
In a 10-page document laying down the guidelines and procedures for the customs clearance of relief goods availing of duty and tax exemptions, particularly international relief goods and aid donations, BOC said all other charges such as storage, demurrage, arrastre, wharfage, trucking, warehousing, and stripping must be settled by the consignee for the goods to be released.
Regulated imports such as medicines, food items, and telecommunication equipment require an import permit to be obtained by the consignee from the regulating Philippine government agency.
The donated goods must not be prohibited imports.
The guidelines also institutionalized the inter-agency One-Stop Shop (OSS) to make the processing and release of foreign relief goods and equipment faster, simpler, and easier.
The OSS is activated when the President of the Philippines declares a national state of calamity, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as lead agency. It will be located at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Port of Mactan or the port nearest the calamity area.
The BOC guidelines and procedures can be downloaded through www.customs.gov.ph.
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