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Republic Act No. 9853

AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9280, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "CUSTOMS BROKERS ACT OF 2004", AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Fourteenth Congress Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-seventh day of July, two thousand nine.

Full Text​

Section 1. Section 27 of Republic Act No. 9280 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 27. Acts Constituting the Practice of Customs Broker Profession.​

Any single act or transaction embraced within the provision of Section 6 hereof shall constitute an act of engaging in the practice of customs broker profession. Import entry shall be signed by a customs broker and the consignee/owner/importer under oath based on the covering documents submitted by the importer: Provided, That export declaration shall be signed by the exporter or, at his option, delegate the signing and processing of the document to his designated customs broker or authorized representative.”

Section 2. Section 29 of Republic Act No. 9280 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 29. Admission to Professional Practice.​

The practice of customs brokerage is a professional service, admission to which shall be determined upon the basis of individual and personal qualifications. However, nothing in this Act shall prevent a corporation from being registered for the purpose of engaging in the business of customs brokerage as long as the corporation shall engage or hire the services of at least one (1) customs broker.

For purposes of this Act, the phrase “engaging in the business of customs brokerage” shall mean making representations on behalf of importer-clients in the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and other government agencies: Provided, That such corporations engaged in the business of customs brokering shall have a minimum paid-up capital of One Million Pesos (Php 1,000,000.00) before they are accredited by the BOC.”

Section 3. Repealing Clause.
All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, memorandum orders and other administrative issuances, rules, and regulations or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

Section 4. Effectivity Clause.
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 3396 and House Bill No. 3274 was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on September 28, 2009 and October 8, 2009, respectively.

Approved December 15, 2009 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Speaker of the House, Senate​

📌 Notes for Review​

  • RA 9853 mainly expanded representation in the Professional Regulatory Board of Customs Brokers (PRBCB).
  • It also strengthened supervision and regulation powers of the PRC Board.
  • Very exam-relevant: know the composition of the Board and the sections amended.