Siaton Customs/BIR harassing Foreign Yachts in Port Bonbonon

Can anyone with local knowledge in Tambobo Bay, advise me as to why all the Foreign Registered Yachts moored there are being given a “Show Cause” notice as to why they should not pay import tax on their boats?

The Philippine Coast Guard/ MARINA department does not issue any cruising permits with length of stay allowed, does not have any record of enforcing limits on visiting yachts… Only Immigration Visas.

So yachts with valid foreign registration have had no guidance for many years on length of stay…. and with the borders now closed, no option to leave.

Our plan in 2021 was to relocate our shore home from Subic to Dumaguete area, bring our foreign registered sailboat to Tambobo, while borders are still closed, before heading to N.E. Indonesia.

Since this is not happening anywhere else but Bonbonon, is this a local fight or form of intimidation??

Thanks for any info.

 

I do not have any first hand information.

I do not believe that it is local to Bonbonon only. There is a reference on Noonsite stating that Cebu and Dumaguete are the most strict in implementing the new rule.

You would probably be better off posting on Noonsite, CruisersForum or one of the other cruising boat websites.

From Noonsite below, proof of foreign registration may be sufficient.

Arriving by Yacht:

There is no specific rule on length of stay at this time, however, a yacht that has been in the country for more than three years may be subject to question.

In 2019 the MARINA department of the Philippine Government finally accepted that Pleasure Craft were different from Commercial Vessels and issued guidelines for registration of such in the Philippines. The new regulations cover everything from a kayak or tender to a super-yacht. There is currently an amnesty that allows pleasure craft owners to register without penalty. So if your boat has been in the country for some years and its foreign registry has lapsed then now is the time to get it registered.

The Philippine Coast Guard in Cebu and Dumaguete are the most strict in implementing the new rule. Make sure your yacht is registered somewhere.

https://www.noonsite.com/place/philippines/formalities/

 

In other words, they are finding ways to deter tourists!

 

What you describe is the way most countries handle yachts. There is usually an import waiver given if the vessel leaves in a certain period of time. 12 months (Australia + extensions) - 10 years (Mexico).

The challenge here in the Philippines is that the rules have not been published. For now I think that if you are not a resident and prove the vessel is registered somewhere else then you do not have to import it.

 

Agree - I thought these were people sailing from country to country but staying here now due to travel restrictions. So, yes, tax them 200%!