By el Amigo
MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration is reshuffling top officials of key government agencies, including the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).
BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza is set to replace Ariel Nepomuceno as Customs chief, while Finance Undersecretary Rolando Ligon Jr. will reportedly take over Mendoza’s post. Nepomuceno, meanwhile, is expected to move to the BCDA.
BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang will transfer to PEZA, Finance Secretary Frederick Go announced during the turnover of the agency’s P8.4-billion remittance to the Bureau of the Treasury.
The future of current PEZA chief Tereso Panga remains uncertain.
Mendoza welcomed his appointment, saying he intends to continue the reforms initiated by Nepomuceno, particularly in border protection, revenue collection and trade facilitation.
He also urged BIR employees to support Ligon and complete the agency’s tax modernization initiatives.
Go praised the BCDA’s performance, citing its capacity to deliver results under Bingcang’s leadership. The agency recorded P145.46 billion in approved investments from January to October, up 143 percent year-on-year.
Its latest remittance brought total contributions from asset disposition proceeds to P11.5 billion, with much of the amount earmarked for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Nepomuceno reported that Customs collected P853.662 billion in the first 10 months of 2026, exceeding its target by P7.14 billion. The bureau also seized P50.93 billion worth of illegal goods through 1,452 operations.
The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. expressed concern over the changes, emphasizing the need for policy continuity and sustained reforms to protect investor confidence and strengthen exports.
ia/xf
