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Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno emphasized the Bureau of Customs’ efforts in digitalization and trade facilitation during a roundtable organized by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines on May 14
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Nepomuceno highlighted three reform pillars: full digital transformation, organizational restructuring, and enhanced stakeholder engagement
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BOC’s new Customs Processing System is central to streamlining operations, fighting smuggling, and improving efficiency under the Marcos administration’s modernization agenda
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BOC also recently set up a dedicated Top Importers Office and is strengthenening maritime enforcement against smuggling
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno highlighted the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) digitalization and trade facilitation initiatives during a roundtable discussion organized by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) on May 14, 2026.
Nepomuceno, joined by senior BOC officials, laid out a three-track reform agenda built around full digital transformation, organizational restructuring, and deeper engagement with the private sector, according to a BOC news release.
At the center of the technology push is the Customs Processing System (CPS), a platform the bureau is deploying to automate and streamline clearance workflows, sharpen anti-smuggling enforcement, and reduce the friction that businesses have long complained drives up the cost and time of moving goods through Philippine ports.
READ: Customs Processing System bidding eyed in July, contract awarding in Feb 2027
Beyond the CPS, Nepomuceno noted the establishment of a Top Importers Office, a dedicated unit designed to give the country’s highest-volume traders faster, more predictable, and more accountable customs service.
READ: BOC creates Top Importers Office for seamless movement of goods
He also outlined moves to expand maritime enforcement capabilities against smuggling.
“We are committed to modernizing the Bureau through technology-driven reforms that will strengthen transparency, improve operational efficiency, and make customs processes more responsive to the needs of stakeholders and the business community,” Nepomuceno said.
He also emphasized the agency’s commitment to sustained collaboration with the private sector.
“We will continue to engage sincerely with our stakeholders because the Bureau of Customs must be a partner in helping businesses grow, not an obstacle to their operations,” he said.
The dialogue reinforced the bureau’s push to advance its Integrity, Accountability, and Modernization (IAM) Program through closer coordination with stakeholders and the promotion of transparent, efficient, and business-friendly customs processes.
