While critics love to sneer at government targets, the Bureau of Customs – Port of Cebu quietly smashed expectations—and did it with numbers that speak louder than any press release.

On January 12, 2026, the Port of Cebu rolled out the red carpet for its real heroes: the subports, offices, and rank-and-file personnel who pushed the needle past the line and made December 2025 a revenue win.

The bottom line?
₱4.238 BILLION collected.
Target: ₱4.166 billion.
Excess: ₱71.30 million.

No spin. No excuses. Just results.
At the center of this performance is District Collector Alexandra Yap-Lumontad, whose brand of leadership is becoming unmistakable—disciplined, data-driven, and uncompromising. Together with her command team—Deputy Collectors Jesus G. Llorando, Atty. Marc Anthony C. Patriarca, and Shirley N. Abarintos—Yap-Lumontad proved that when accountability is enforced, and teamwork is non-negotiable, targets don’t just get met—they get crushed.
But make no mistake: this Cebu success story did not happen in a vacuum.
The Port’s momentum is firmly aligned with the iron-clad direction of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, whose tenure continues to send a clear message across all ports: performance matters, people matter, and professionalism is non-optional.
Under Nepomuceno’s watch, employee welfare and capacity-building are no longer just slogans. They are policy. Proof of this came when Cebu Customs also honored its own legal and technical achievers—Maria Carla L. Jucutan and Donna Jean D. Cañete, who passed the 2025 Bar Examinations, and Jasmine Claire D. Tan, who conquered the Customs Broker Licensure Exam.

In an agency often accused of being purely numbers-obsessed, this move hits differently. It sends a powerful signal: Customs is investing not just in collections, but in brains, integrity, and long-term institutional strength.

Collector Yap-Lumontad summed it up bluntly and without theatrics: results came from discipline and teamwork—and recognition isn’t just for figures on paper, but for people who continuously sharpen their skills while serving the public.

In an era where excuses are plentiful and accountability is rare, the Port of Cebu’s December performance stands as a reminder: when leadership is firm, direction is clear, and standards are enforced from the top, government can still deliver.

And if Cebu is any indication, Nepomuceno’s Customs playbook is working—and Yap-Lumontad is executing it to the letter.

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