Willie ‘Taray-no’ Parayno; 75

I lovingly called former Bureau of Customs Commissioner Guillermo “Willie” Parayno Jr., “Taray-no.” His answer was always a “no” to personal requests. Normally, the requests were for duty exemptions for cars used by priests and nuns. He made me coil in shame by asking how Customs could reach its revenue targets if we kept badgering it for exemptions.

Willie, known for successfully reforming the notoriously corrupt agency, died on Aug. 2 of a heart attack. He was 75.

Willie was our safety net. He made up for shortfalls in the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s collection by exceeding his targets at Customs all the time, despite the lowering of tariffs and the elimination of the oil levies. We called him the “Whiz Kid” who introduced new systems to effect efficiency and integrity in the bureau. He streamlined processes and knocked out bureaucratic bottlenecks by reducing the number of people who needed to go over documents and affix their signatures before a cargo was released.

With his information technology background, he developed a database of importers and exporters and introduced an incentive system. All those who complied with the laws used the “Green Lane,“ where cargoes were released within 24 hours. Those who monkeyed around with the laws in the past or used political connections were “penalized” by undergoing more inspections and greater scrutiny of their cargoes. In no time at all, majority of traders tried to be in the Green Lane.

Willie graduated magna cum laude from the Philippine Military Academy but did not rely on military tactics to sow fear and enforce discipline. He believed in the power of incentives and his assumption was proven correct. Willie used systems to fight corruption. He was not big on preaching and giving homilies. He knew that discretion and bribery can happen through physical negotiations, which spawned the “suki” system and “utang na loob.” He minimized the physical interaction between taxpayers and collectors by putting all transactions online. He ended the need for follow-ups which caused delays and the use of discretion.

Former president Fidel V. Ramos used to marvel at “Willie’s toys.” Willie made the computerization program in Customs work, not through the use of modern hardware, but by simplifying processes and investing in human development. He knew that he had to develop broad ownership of his reforms and the employees’ total embrace of his vision. He made sure that the Customs personnel walked in lockstep with him, so he involved them in formulating plans, setting targets, and evaluating program results.

He was also very professional. I often joined them in workshops that were held in resorts. Once, I made the mistake of wearing shorts, thinking that the beach gathering was for fun. Was my face red when I saw the Commissioner and his officers in business attire!

Travelers returning to the country sighed with relief at the absence of examiners who usurped their powers and leveraged their positions to make taxpayers come across. It was only later that I learned that Willie monitored customs operations through the installation of cameras. To enhance customer services, he redesigned the immigration form to integrate their customs declaration.

Willie and I shared a strong bond of kinship. He was in tears when he begged me to stay at the Department of Finance to help ensure that his Customs reforms would be sustained. But the forces were too strong for me, and I had to leave. Our paths crossed again when we both worked at the International Monetary Fund to help strengthen the fiscal programs in several “Stans” or the former Soviet states. Willie was the peripatetic adviser, and my assignment was Kyrgyzstan. He loved going to the wet market and marveling at the Kyrgyz beauties who were selling “galunggong.” He once told me: “Nene, sa atin, pang Bayside ang mga iyan.” (If they were in the Philippines, they would be working at Bayside (nightclub).)

I saw Willie cry once more when then Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo and I begged him to be the Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner. He had to give up a lucrative job and several consultancies to serve the country once more.

It is now our turn to shed tears because we will miss such an outstanding leader, a valuable team player, and a public servant par excellence. But we are consoled by being blessed with the presence of a miracle worker and a wonderful human being.

Milwida Guevarra served as finance undersecretary during the Ramos administration.