The Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue were recognized recently for helping drive a 15 percent increase in government revenue in the first half of 2024.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III praised the agencies, along with the Department of Finance’s Corporate Affairs Group, during a hearing on the 2025 national budget.

Government revenue reached 2.15 trillion pesos in the first six months of the year, up from 1.9 trillion pesos in the same period in 2023, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said.

The BoC alone collected 455.518 billion pesos from January to June.

Pimentel said the increased revenue collection helped lower the budget deficit.