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Finance secretary Frederick Go expressed confidence that the Bureau of Customs will be able to collect P1 trillion in revenues this year with ongoing reforms
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Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the target is doable
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The Development Budget Coordination Committee has set a P1.003 trillion revenue collection target for BOC this year, higher than last year’s P958.7 billion target and P934.4 billion actual collection
Finance secretary Frederick Go expressed confidence that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will finally be able to collect P1 trillion in revenues this year, supported by ongoing reforms in the systems.
“…I am very confident that this will be the year that we will hit the P1 trillion target,” Go said in his keynote speech during BOC’s 124th founding anniversary celebration on February 12. Go said
He asked if this is achievable, directly addressing the audience composed mostly of BOC officials and personnel, who responded, “Kaya! (We can!)”
The Development Budget Coordination Committee has set a P1.003 trillion revenue collection target for BOC this year, higher than last year’s P958.7 billion target and the P934.4 billion actual collection.
For January 2026, BOC collected P80.744 billion, exceeding its target for the month by P513 million and surpassing its P79.254 billion collection in January 2025 by 1.9%.
READ: BOC reports P934B revenue, slightly misses 2025 target
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, in a separate interview with the media, said the P1 trillion target is doable.
“As long as the economic assumptions will be there and not drastically changed, kaya naman. We’re taking the challenge, and that’s a good mission. That’s the least we can do to help the economy,” Nepomuceno said.
The BOC chief said they have been observing strict monitoring of the right process in assessing payments, and strengthening their enforcement activities and coordination with other enforcement agencies.
BOC is also in the process of fully digitalizing its entire processes, though this may take a year, so in the meantime the bureau is focusing on making sure its personnel are doing their work right, Nepomuceno added.
BOC is also currently negotiating an unsolicited proposal for a customs processing system designed to streamline and automate customs procedures, ensuring efficient, transparent, and compliant trade facilitation.
Moreover, Nepomuceno also hopes to “get the support of the other agencies” in their quick issuance of import permits, noting that BOC “can only do so much, we need the help of the other agencies.”
READ: BOC commits to sustaining automation initiatives
Nepomuceno said they also expect to collect more duties with the lifting of the import ban on rice this year. He said with the ban, there is a P3-4 billion foregone revenue monthly.
READ: DA forms rice import TWG to stabilize supply, prices
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last year ordered a 60-day suspension on rice importation starting September and later further extended to December to protect local farmers reeling from low prices for palay (unmilled rice) during this harvest season. Rice imports resumed this year but with tariff adjustments.— Roumina Pablo
