Pinay boxer-MMA fighter taxed for title belt

MANILA, Philippines -- A Filipino boxer-mixed martial arts fighter has cried foul after being taxed by the Bureau of Customs for her championship belt. Jujeath Nagaowa, who won the WIBA international light flyweight crown over her Chinese foe, said she didn’t expect to pay out nearly P6,000 for the title she won. Nagaowa, who also competes in ONE Championship, felt hurt after the BoC charged for the belt which was shipped to her from Macau. Nagaowa said the belt came from Florida then it shipped to Macau before arriving in the Philippines. She said the duties have already been paid for by the promoters. “Inaantay po naming dumating sa address ng manager ko 'yung belt, pero wala. Kaya sabi ko ‘Sir, pakipunta na lang doon’ kasi gaya ng dati sa gloves hindi pala door-to-door delivery. Pupuntahan mo doon tapos may babayaran ka,” she said in an interview with ANC’s Boyet Sison. She said her belt was fetched by her manager since she was already in Baguio by then. “Nung tinawag sa akin… nalungkot at nadisappoint noon,” said Nagaowa. “Almost P6,000 po [ang binayaran ko], mga P5,800 po.” She initially aired her disappointment through Facebook while commenting about tax issues. She was later surprised when her comment went viral. Meanwhile, Customs Commissioner Bert Lina clarified that award and trophies are not covered by tax duties. Regarding Nagaowa’s belt, Lina said the athlete will only need an exemption from the Department of Finance (DOF). “Yan po talaga ay exempt, kelangan po lamang humingi sila ng approval sa department of Finance. ‘Yan po ang nasasaad sa ating regulasyon… Duty and tax free po yan, pagka po award and proceeds,” said Lina. Lina said Nagaowa’s belt have gone through the postal office, it underwent the Customs protocol of computation of duties and taxes. He said the duties paid by Nagaowa can by refunded once she gets an exemption from the DoF. Lina added that they may change the process to avoid such inconvenience in the future. "Ang gagawin natin ay papapalitan natin ang process... 'wag na po tayong pumunta sa Department of Finance," he siad. The BoC recently drew flak from the public after it announced that more stringent measures will be enforced on balikbayan boxes. Customs have since rescinded the policy but it was not enough to appease OFWs sending balikbayan boxes.