BUREAU Of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno rallied the newly licensed customs brokers (LCBs) to support the government during their induction ceremony in one of his last official engagements before the end of 2025.
“Always think every morning that you can be the bright star in your own office, in BOC if you join, in your own corporations/logistics company, the darker it is because of the things that (are happening) in our country, the brighter star you should be,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said during the event held last December 19.
He also encouraged the more than 2,000 inductees to always uphold integrity and professionalism in their respective workplaces and to help the country move forward.
“Tulungan natin ang bansa natin, kailangan ng bansa natin ng tulong and I assure you personally that I am joining you in joining the right side of history.
“Pagbutihin nating lahat, mahalin natin ang ating bansa, mahalin ninyo ang inyong panunumpa, bilang mga bagong customs broker,” he added.
More end of the year engagements
The LCBs induction ceremony is one the many engagements of the agency with its various stakeholders to highlight its ongoing reforms and accomplishments under the leadership of Commissioner Nepomuceno.
From December 1 to December 5, Atty. Agaton Uvero, Deputy Commissioner for Assessment and Coordinating Group (AOCG), spearheaded the agency’s participation in the 2025 National Exporters’ Week (NEW) where he announced the full digital adoption of the ‘Origin Management System’ (OMS).
The OMS is a new online platform which digitalizes the entire process of managing basic information of exporting companies to the application and issuance of Product Evaluation Report (PER) with the issuance of Customs Memorandum Order No. 6-2025.
The system allows exporters to submit PER applications seamlessly, facilitates regulatory compliance thus ensuring eligibility for tariff preferences.
Going digital will make the processing of PER applications faster, predictable, more transparent, and much easier for businesses, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises, Uvero noted.
The BOC’s active involvement in NEW 2025 underscores the agency’s commitment to making export procedures more efficient and business friendly.
Earlier in late November, the BOC joined the delegation of the European Union (EU) in the Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in marking the completion of the ASEAN Regional Integration Support – Philippines Trade- Related Technical Assistance (ARISE Plus Philippines) project – an initiative that has helped make trade processes faster, safer, and more predictable for Filipino businesses and consumers.
The closing ceremony was held in Manila last November 21.
The EU-funded ARISE Plus Philippines is a 5-year program implemented jointly with the DTI and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
The project helped strengthen the country’s trade performance, expanded market access for MSMEs in the EU and ASEAN, and supported the modernization of customs operations, quality infrastructure, and export systems.