President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. appointed Ariel Nepomuceno as the new commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), replacing Bienvenido Rubio.
Nepomuceno, who formally assumed office on July 1, vowed to continue the BOC's gains while introducing innovations in digitalization, enforcement, and stakeholder engagement.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the President's directives on boosting revenue collection, facilitating trade, combating smuggling, and fostering a professional workforce.
Outgoing Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, who headed the BOC from February 2023 to June 2025, had previously submitted his courtesy resignation in May.
Under Rubio's leadership, the BOC surpassed annual targets, collecting P883 billion in 2023 and approximately P916 billion in 2024, with enforcement operations leading to seizures of illicit goods rising from P43.29 billion in 2023 to P85.16 billion in 2024.
The new BOC chief has already reshuffled key officials, naming Romeo Allan Rosales for the Intelligence Group, Nolasco Bathan for the Enforcement Group, and Agaton Teodoro Uvero for the Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group.
Nepomuceno emphasized the directives to meet revenue targets, noting the PHP1.1 trillion goal for next year and the current year's collection being less than halfway to its target.
Finance Assistant Secretary Karlo Fermin S. Adriano noted that the BOC's revenue might be downgraded in 2025 and the following years due to lower tariffs on rice and reduced import growth.
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