DEPARTMENT of Finance (DOF) Secretary Frederick Go only have praises for Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Atty. Charlito Martin ‘Charlie’ Mendoza during a post-SONA press briefing assessing the past year performance of the Marcos administration.
“Ang masasabi ko ay since umupo si Commissioner Charlie, Commissioner Ariel at ako, ay talagang nabawasan ang mga complaints.
“Talagang maganda ang mga reporma at mga programa na ginawa ng BOC at BIR,” Secretary Go said.
Secretary Go previously served as Special Assistant to President Marcos Jr. for Investment and Economic Affairs before being appointed to the top DOF post in November 2025 following a major shakeup in the administration with the assumption of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto as Executive Secretary.
Nepomuceno, for his part, was appointed customs commissioner in July 2025 while Mendoza is serving as DOF Undersecretary for Revenue Operations when he was appointed to head the BIR also in November 2025. Mendoza also previously served Customs District Collector for Cebu before transferring to the DOF.
As DOF head, Secretary Go supervises the operations of the BOC and the BIR, the country’s main sources of revenue. The BIR is expected to collect ₱3.393 trillion for this year, while the BOC has been assigned a revenue goal of ₱1 trillion.
During the interview, Commissioner Nepomuceno highlighted the BOC’s continuing efforts to strengthen revenue collection, improve compliance, and uphold good governance as part of the government’s broader fiscal program.
“Unang-una, patuloy naming pagbubutihin ang collection. ’Yan ang aming primary mission dahil kailangan ng ating pamahalaan ang pondo, na ginagamit naman ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos para sa ating mga kababayan,” Nepomuceno said.
Already for July, the BOC turned in revenues exceeding ₱587.7 billion, the highest ever BOC collection record for the January-to-July period that surpassed the agency’s collection target of ₱576.366 billion by ₱11.345 billion (Pinoy Exposé, August 4, 2026).
Commissioner Nepomuceno emphasized that effective revenue collection must go hand in hand with intensified enforcement against smuggling, noting that illicit trade deprives the government of revenues that could otherwise support public programs and services.
“Kakambal niyan, magagawa natin ito kung patuloy naming pag-iigtingin at palalakasin ang gera namin laban sa mga smugglers. Maasahan ng lahat na tuloy-tuloy naming pipigilan at huhulihin ang mga smugglers,” he added.
The discussion highlighted the complementary roles of the Department of Finance and its attached agencies in advancing the administration’s fiscal agenda.
For the BOC, this includes sustaining revenue collection, strengthening enforcement, promoting compliance, and safeguarding the country’s borders against smuggling and other illicit activities.