On Monday, 14 July 2025, marking his first official meeting with the Finance Secretary, Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, along with key Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials, discussed critical operational and fiscal matters of the Bureau. This meeting is crucial in setting the agency’s strategic direction for the remaining months of 2025 and draws clear guidance from the Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary, Ralph G. Recto.
The BOC presented a catch-up and action plan focused on operational efficiency and revenue optimization to meet the Bureau’s target collection for the year, ramping up border protection efforts, and advancing trade facilitation initiatives for the remainder of 2025.

The Secretary, in turn, affirmed his support for the BOC’s efforts in generating revenue, securing borders, and streamlining trade. He further emphasized the BOC’s pivotal role in national fiscal stability, pointing out that about 20% of government spending is sourced from the agency’s revenue collections.

Secretary Recto also shared that he looks forward to working with the fresh set of officials recently added to the BOC’s team in a brief introduction to the agency’s updated executive line-up, poised to help bolster the Bureau’s transformational reform agenda.

Led by DOF Undersecretary Atty. Charlito Martin R. Mendoza, the Revenue Operations Group (ROG), shared strategic insights to help the BOC improve revenue generation strategies and meet its annual target.

Meanwhile, current and some of the new Deputy Commissioners and District Collectors, took an oath before Secretary Recto, pledging their commitment to a unified effort toward the continued transformation of the BOC and a much-improved institution that thrives on efficient, accountable, and people-oriented governance, one that upholds public interest above all.

This high-level discussion is crucial in sustaining reforms that will put the Bureau forward, backed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to an efficient and reform-driven government—one that envisions and practices strategic foresight, institutional integrity, and service excellence.

In his first two weeks in office, Commissioner Nepomuceno has already taken firm steps to jumpstart key reforms. In a statement, he shared his belief that many BOC employees are supportive and deeply committed to their responsibilities, stating, “We do more. Again, there are quick-to-do reforms that we have to implement soon, and there are major reforms that we have to do by pacing. We will have to calibrate how to do this, and we need the support also of BOC employees.”

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