Customs chief urges sustained agency gains
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Bureau of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno has urged Customs officials nationwide to sustain gains in revenue collection, anti-smuggling operations and institutional reforms.
Speaking at the Collectors’ Conference in Batangas, Nepomuceno cited the bureau’s performance during his first year in office, particularly improvements in revenue generation, trade facilitation, border enforcement and internal reforms.
He said the BoC’s performance has drawn recognition from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stakeholders and partner government agencies.
“We have to sustain this,” Nepomuceno said as he called on Customs personnel to continue pursuing reforms aimed at making the agency more efficient, competitive and responsive.
Nepomuceno also highlighted the bureau’s intensified campaign against smuggling and its formalized partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
During the conference, the BoC recognized intelligence operatives from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service at the Manila International Container Port for operations that led to the seizure of billions of pesos worth of illicit cigarettes.
Model ports
Several ports were also recognized for meeting or surpassing their June 2026 revenue collection targets. These were the Ports of Manila, Iloilo, NAIA, Cebu, Batangas, Limay and Clark, as well as the Manila International Container Port.
The Ports of Aparri, Cagayan de Oro, NAIA, Iloilo and Davao received awards for posting higher revenue collections from January to June 2026 compared with the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the Ports of NAIA, Iloilo and Clark were cited for exceeding their monthly collection targets for six consecutive months from January to June.
In her welcome remarks, Batangas District Collector Talusan underscored the role of Customs personnel as stewards of public trust and contributors to national development.
She said the Port of Batangas generates nearly P20 billion in government revenues monthly while pursuing measures to facilitate trade and strengthen border security.
