‘DECONGEST ALL PORTS,’ NEPOMUCENO TELLS CUSTOMS COLLECTORS

BUREAU Of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno instructed all the bureau’s 17 district offices to decongest their ports by identifying importations that remain unpaid, unclaimed, or unreleased despite the completion of necessary customs processes and readiness for withdrawal.

Commissioner Nepomuceno issued the instruction during the monthly Collectors’ Conference last June 11 hosted by the Port of Limay headed District Collector Atty. Kriden F. Balgomera, with the aim of optimizing all local operations and safeguarding government revenue.

The Customs Chief also took the opportunity to announce the temporary transfer of the Accounts Management Office (AMO) to the Post-Clearance Audit Group (PCAG) headed by Assistant Commissioner Atty. Vincent Philip Maronilla, also the BOC spokesperson.

The transfer of the AMO from the Intelligence Group (IG) was formalized under Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) 10-2026 dated June 5.

The AMO is responsible for the accreditation of customs brokers and importers. Its functions would be directly supervised by the PCAG’s Trade Information and Risk Analysis Office (TIRAO) under Director Atty. Arnaldo Saulong, who also briefly served as Subic Port District Collector (Pinoy Exposé, April 5, 2026).

Commissioner Nepomuceno also expressed appreciation for the BOC’s strong revenue performance since he took office in July 2025 as he urged his officials to sustain the current momentum while ensuring proper assessment of importations and maintaining border security.

Despite the current global crisis due to the ongoing war in the Middle East between the United States, Israel and Iran, the BOC still posted a surplus collection of ₱9.3 billion in the first 5 months of the year (Pinoy Exposé, June 9, 2026).

“Your success is my success, and the success of the Bureau of Customs is, ultimately, the success of our nation,” Commissioner Nepomuceno emphasized.

The Customs Chief also took the opportunity to welcome Raul S. Nagrampa as the new Deputy Commissioner, Internal Administration Group (IAG) and Director II Heathcliff L. Riego De Dios, who officially took their oaths of office before him during the meeting.

Also commended for hitting their revenue targets in May are the collection districts of NAIA, Iloilo, Clark, Subic, Aparri, and Limay.