THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Monday reported its second consecutive month of above-target collections with a revenue of P73.798 billion in February, up by 1.7 percent or P1.2 billion higher than its programmed goal of P72.592 billion.
The amount is also 2.8 percent higher than the agency’s P71.765 billion earnings in February 2025.
“The entire bureau delivered more than the expected financial target for February.... This is contrary to the expectation that, during the month of the Chinese New Year, our collection slows,” Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said in a statement.
“But we were able to prove, with the efforts of everyone, especially our port collectors, that it can be done — with the proper assessment, stricter implementation of enforcement rules, and due diligence of our deputy commissioners, who keep on budging everyone to collect properly.”
For the first two months of the year, revenues totaled P154.747 billion, up by 2.5 percent or P3.729 billion, compared to collections in the same period last year.
The BOC is tasked to collect P1.003 trillion this year.
In 2025, the agency failed to meet its revenue goal, with collections totaling P934.4 billion or below the P958.7-billion target, but still higher than 2024’s P916.674 billion.
Nepomuceno said the bureau would continue enhancing its systems and processes to sustain revenue growth and support the country’s fiscal stability and long-term development goals.
The customs chief previously met with port operators and maritime stakeholders to ensure that port operations remain efficient through early coordination and shared planning.
Regular and open dialogue is critical to anticipating operational pressures, particularly during peak shipping periods, and to keeping systems and processes responsive, Nepomuceno said.
Discussions in the meeting focused on improving planning and forecasting, preparing for different operational scenarios and streamlining customs procedures, including the enforcement of the dwell time rule and cargo release processes.
