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(NAR) VOL. 14 NOS. 3-4 / JULY-DECEMBER 2003
[ BOC CUSTOMS MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 20-2003, September 30, 2003 ]
TRANSSHIPMENT OF BAGGAGE OF ARRIVING INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT PASSENGERS WITH CONNECTING DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
1. To provide for the mechanism that would allow the transfer of baggage of arriving international flight passengers with connecting domestic flights.
2. To provide better service for incoming passengers especially during peak seasons and prevent baggage congestion at the arrival area.
2. Coverage
This Order shall cover the baggage of passengers of international flights arriving at NAIA, with connecting flights to domestic airports with customs complement, such as Mactan, Davao, Zamboanga, Laoag and Clark.
3. General Provisions
3.1 The transfer of baggage of international flight passengers to domestic flights shall be effected upon application by the concerned international airline for a Transshipment Permit Local (TPL) and approval thereof by the designated Customs officers as provided herein.
3.2 Baggage covered by TPL shall be subject to X-ray or physical examination by the concerned Customs officers as herein prescribed.
3.3 The concerned Customs authority in the international port of discharge shall inform with sufficient details the Collector of Customs in the domestic port of destination, through the fastest means of communication available, of the arrival of the baggage covered by the TPL. The Collector of Customs of the port of destination shall in turn acknowledge the arrival of subject baggage, as may be appropriate.
4. Prior to Arrival of International Flight
4.1 The concerned airline representative shall submit its application for a TPL to the Entry Processing Unit (EPU), Arrival Area, NAIA, specifying therein the names of passengers and their respective baggage, together with their corresponding baggage tag number and domestic ports of destination.
4.2 If the application is in order, the EPU shall endorse the same, together with the required supporting papers, to the Deputy Collector for Passenger Service (DC-PS); or in his absence, to the Chief or Assistant Chief of the Arrival Operations Division (AOD) , Duty Collector, or other Customs Officer duly designated by the Deputy Collector for Passenger Services, for verification of the information contained therein to establish the basis for approval.
4.3 Upon approval of the TPL, the same shall be assigned, in sequential order, a control number which shall be stamped thereon and indicated on all TPL copies to be distributed as follows:
4.4 The approving officer shall notify, via the fastest available communications facilities (e.g., fax, e-mail, telex or any future innovation thereof) and through the airline concerned, the Collector of Customs of the domestic airport of final destination about the subject TPL. The Green copy of the TPL shall be immediately transmitted to the Collector of Customs of the airport of final destination.
4.5 Upon receipt of the original copy, the AOD shall immediately assign a Customs Guard/AOD escort.
5. Upon Arrival at Airport of Entry
5.1 Upon arrival of the baggage at the airport of entry, the Customs Guard shall cause the loading in separate containers of the baggage specified in the TPL, which shall be properly marked "FOR TRANSSHIPMENT TO MACTAN/DAVAO/LAOAG/ZAMBOANGA/CLARK (as the case may be), ATTN: CUSTOMS COLLECTOR". Where the aircraft to be used is not capable of loading containers (e.g. A320, B737), subject baggage shall be loaded doorside and identified individually by a designated transshipment tape marked as provided above to allow easy identification at the domestic airport of final destination.
5.2 The airline's authorized representative shall present its TPL copy (white duplicate), together with the supporting documents, to the Duty Collector or in his absence, to the TR Flight Supervisor, and inform him/her of the arrival of the baggage subject of the said permit for his/her information and instruction, if any.
5.3 The airline representative shall also inform the Duty Collector and the Team Leader, Interim Scanning Unit (ISU) about the Transshipment Permit and the arrival of the baggage covered by the said permit.
5.4 The assigned Customs Guard shall accompany subject baggage to the ISU unit for the mandatory x-ray examination.
6. Examination
6.1 The ISU shall subject the baggage covered by TPL to x-ray examination.
6.2 Those pieces of baggage identified in x-ray exam for further examination, as well as those subject of alert/derogatory information, shall be physically examined by the Customs examiner in the presence of passenger-carrier, airline personnel, TR Flight Supervisor.
6.3 Prior to the physical examination, the Customs examiner shall require the presentation of the duly accomplished Baggage/Customs Declaration of the passenger/owner/carrier of the baggage in question.
6.4 Those found to contain regulated or prohibited articles or contrabands shall be deposited in the Inbound Section for Customs safekeeping. Action against the passenger/owner/carrier of the baggage as may be appropriate under the circumstances shall be undertaken. The ISU Team shall indicate in the TPL the tag numbers of the baggage that have been disallowed for transshipment.
6.5 TPLs covering baggage with no discrepancy noted in the x-ray/physical examination shall be subjected to a physical count by the assigned Customs Guard and airline-carrier representative. After completion of customs formalities, the Customs Guard shall sign the corresponding boatnote.
6.6 If no x-ray examination can be conducted on the TPL baggage for technical reasons, the Chief, ISU, shall arrange for the immediate physical examination of subject baggage at the airport of entry; or its x-ray examination or physical examination at the domestic airport of final destination, in which case, the Chief, ISU shall accordingly inform the Collector of Customs at the domestic port of final destination, while noting the need/request/arrangement for said action in the covering TPL.
7. Loading for Domestic Flights
7.1 The assigned Customs Guard shall supervise the loading of subject baggage in separate container/s which must be checked for their proper markings and sealed with numbered airline seal in the presence of the airline representative.
7.2 The assigned Customs Guard shall personally monitor the transfer of the container/pushcart up to the domestic Build-up Area and ensure that the baggage are loaded in the appropriate connecting domestic flight.
8. Upon Arrival at Final Domestic Destination
8.1 Upon receipt of a copy of approved TPL (Green duplicate), together with the Telex Message, the Collector of Customs of the domestic airport of final destination, through the Deputy Collector for Operations and AOD or its equivalent office, shall assign a Customs Guard for the transshipped baggage.
8.2 The duly authorized airline representative at the domestic airport shall receive and acknowledge receipt of the sealed and marked container/pushcart to be loaded on the flight.
8.3 The assigned Customs Guard shall escort to the Examination Area for International Flights the sealed container/pushcart containing the baggage from the delivering aircraft for Customs Inspection, which shall be done in the presence of the passenger. It is his/her responsibility to determine that the baggage have been inspected at the port of entry/discharge. If no inspection had been conducted, s/he shall direct that it be brought to the examiner for x-ray or physical examination, whichever is warranted under the circumstances. If there is no discrepancy/problem, the baggage shall be cleared for immediate release. Otherwise, the Customs Guard shall report the matter to the Collector of Customs for appropriate action.
8.4 The Collector of Customs of the domestic airport of final destination shall immediately notify the approving officer (for TPL applications) of the airport of entry about the receipt of the baggage through acknowledgement of the green copy of the TPL and the original copy of the boatnote. These documents shall be placed in a sealed envelope and shall be returned to the airport of origin (Attn: Deputy Collector for Passenger Service) by means of an airline pouch.
9. Misrouted Baggage
9.1 In cases of misrouted baggage, meaning those erroneously delivered to domestic airports, the DC-PS shall inform the airline Station Manager at the concerned domestic airports and ask for the return of the misrouted baggage back to Manila under transshipment, indicating as well the location of the baggage inside the aircraft.
9.2 Upon the arrical of the returned baggage at the NAIA, these shall be immediately taken into custody by an AOD Customs Guard, who shall endorse the same to the Customs Storekeeper-Interline Baggage Room. AOD shall immediately notify the DC-PS of the receipt thereof, who in turn shall accordingly notify the Collector of Customs of the concerned domestic airport.
10. Repeal Clause
All previous Orders inconsistent herewith are deemed repealed, amended and/or modified accordingly.
11. Effectivity
This Order shall take effect immediately.
Adopted: 30 Sept. 2003
(SGD.) ANTONIO M. BERNARDO
Commissioner