The celebrity voiced out her concerns online last weekend.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, actress-filmmaker Bela Padilla wrote on Saturday, August 16, her sentiments regarding the discrepancy between the online calculator and the actual duties she had to pay for her shipment.
Tagging the Bureau of Customs (BOC)’s official account, “Hi [Customs], good morning! I’m being charged 4,600 php in taxes for a shipment with an 11k php value. I used your online calculator and should only be charged 1,650. I usually shop online and get packages with more value so I more or less know when the taxes are too high even without your calculator. Surely, we shouldn’t pay almost half of the value of our item in taxes, no?“
Following that, the star received multiple replies and quote retweets, with many netizens also expressing their own troubles and backed Bela’s move to publicly disclose the matter.
In its initial reaction, the Bureau of Customs said that they will resolve the matter with Padilla through private channels.
However, on Monday, August 18, the BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno shared a statement through the agency’s social media pages.
He said that the bureau recognizes the concerns raised by the public regarding the Online Duty and Tax Calculator, and “I would like to extend my apology for any confusion this tool may have caused to those who relied on it.“
“Upon review, we confirmed that the final assessment of duties and taxes on her shipment is correct and based on the requirements of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and related regulations. While the current calculator provides estimates, it does not yet reflect all lawful charges required by law, which may have led to misunderstanding when compared with the official assessment,” he added.
Hence, to avoid similar situations in the future, Nepomuceno directed that the calculator be temporarily removed until enhancements are completed.
The commissioner furthered, “The upgraded system will provide a clearer, more comprehensive breakdown, ensuring that all applicable charges are properly reflected.”
Additionally, the BOC will also “develop an improved version of the calculator that will be updated regularly to reflect prevailing rates and give the public a more transparent picture of their total dues,” the same statement also read.
“We respect and support the public in voicing out their concerns and grievances. We commend Ms. Bela Padilla for raising her point calmly and professionally. Constructive feedback like this helps us strengthen transparency and better serve the public.“
Lastly, “We are committed to transparency, accuracy, and continuous improvement in our processes. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused and thank the public for their feedback, which helps us serve better.”
Through her own X account, Bela responded and shared the following tweet, which read, “One thing I will acknowledge and inform you guys about is that there is a change in staff in BOC. A few years ago, when I had the same hiccup with them, someone high up called me (never met this person) and when I said hello, he answered with “Di mo ba ko kilala?” So I said “no, I don’t know who you are.” He proceeded to mansplain what I already knew.“
She continued, “Yesterday, when someone from BOC reached out…he texted first to ask if I could take a call. And then we discussed why I was given the fee I posted. (BTW hidden charges should not be hidden from people paying for it!) and I even asked why consumers are being taxed a total now of 27% for imported goods (this is a congress matter) + additional charges from the shipping companies. He promised to look into how shipping companies are pricing our deliveries too.”
Bela then broadcast her courtesy to the BOC team, and wrote, “Thank you, Mr. Nepumoceno for being so kind in your explanations. We’re all expecting a lot from you because sadly, our experience with BOC in the past hasn’t been great. But I hope to see a change with you in the office now.”