President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has sworn in Ariel F. Nepomuceno as the new Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the government agency tasked to intensify efforts to combat smuggling and illicit trade.

Before his appointment, Nepomuceno served as executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and undersecretary of the Office of Civil Defense.

As the country’s principal border protection and trade facilitation agency under the Department of Finance, the BOC plays a vital role in generating revenue, ensuring national security, and promoting economic stability.

While initially established to collect duties and taxes, the bureau has evolved into a critical institution dedicated to combating illegal trade, promoting legitimate commerce, and enhancing border control.

President Marcos’ marching order for the BOC is to safeguard the country’s borders and ensure transparency and efficiency in revenue collection.

Nepomuceno is not new to the BOC, as he had previously held positions within the agency, including assistant commissioner of the Post Clearance Audit Group from December 2017 to April 2018 and deputy commissioner of the Enforcement Group from December 2013 to February 2017.

He also served as director and CEO of the Office of Civil Defense under the Department of National Defense from December 2012 to March 2013, and as a consultant at the Office of the President in 2003.

In the early 2000s, he held executive positions at Food Terminal Inc. and Avalon Pacific Corporation, where he started his career as vice president for operations in 1997.

Most recently, since 2019, Nepomuceno served as chairman and CEO of Malayan Pacific Power Holdings Corporation. | PND