Section 18Sec./Art. 18

Simplification of Documentation Requirements. -

(a) Consignment of equipment sent by international collaborative research partners shall be cleared or released based on a simplified equipment declaration, which shall contain the minimum information as may be required by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), to identify the equipment and object, accompanied by a Declaration of Undertaking to complete the information or submit the necessary supporting documents within a specified period;

(b) The requirements for the declaration, release, and clearance for all import of equipment by or on behalf of international collaborative research partners and any supporting document relating thereto shall be simplified and lodged without fee;

(c) Economic prohibitions and restrictions on designated categories of special goods and equipment, as identified by the PHILVOLCS , may be waived;

(d) Clearance for imported equipment shall be granted without regard to the country of origin or the country from which the goods have arrived, subject to monitoring for public health and security;

(e) Urgent and necessary monitoring equipment required during an ongoing volcanic eruption shall be immediately released; and

(f) Scientific and technical equipment rendered unrecoverable due to extreme and damaging volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and weather conditions shall not be the accountability of the PHILVOLCS personnel handling such equipment, unless there is fault or negligence on the part of the relevant personnel. The Commission on Audit (COA) shall formulate rules and regulations for waiving accountabilities in the above specific cases.