January didn’t just open the year for the Bureau of Customs—it set the tempo.

Under the no-nonsense leadership of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, the country’s key ports stormed into 2026 with numbers that speak louder than press releases. Targets weren’t merely met. They were crushed.

This is what alignment looks like—from the top floor down to the docks.

PORT OF MANILA: TORRALBA DELIVERS WHERE IT MATTERS MOST

At the nation’s busiest trade gateway, Port of Manila District Collector Rizalino Jose C. Torralba wasted no time proving that size still matters—especially when discipline backs it up.

POM raked in ₱7.511 billion, overshooting its ₱7.355-billion target by ₱156 million. That’s not luck. That’s systems working, enforcement tightening, and a workforce that knows the mission.

Torralba kept it simple: teamwork, focus, results. And Manila delivered exactly that.

PORT OF CLARK: REYES KEEPS IT CLEAN AND CONSISTENT

At Clark, District Collector Jairus S. Reyes showed how steady leadership produces steady gains.

With a target of ₱434.72 million, Clark closed January at ₱453.46 million, posting a ₱18.73-million surplus. Quiet, efficient, and effective—Clark is proving that compliance and cooperation still pay dividends when rules are enforced properly.

NAIA: MAPA HOLDS THE LINE AT THE FRONT DOOR

At the country’s main air gateway, BOC-NAIA District Collector Atty. Maria Yasmin O. Mapa stood firm at the front door of Philippine trade.

NAIA collected ₱3.74 billion, beating its ₱3.6-billion target by 4 percent and posting a 4.91-percent increase over 2025. In an environment where speed and risk collide daily, Mapa’s leadership kept collections strong and controls tight.

Air cargo, express shipments, passengers—NAIA didn’t blink.

COLLECTION DISTRICT X: ZURBITO DOESN’T MISS

Then comes Collection District X—and this is where the gloves came off.

Under District Collector Atty. Manuel O. Zurbito Jr., Northern Mindanao didn’t just outperform—it dominated.

January collections hit ₱3.48 billion, smashing the ₱3.26-billion target by a staggering ₱221.2 million, or 6.79 percent above goal—the strongest punch among the ports.

Zurbito runs a tight ship. No shortcuts. No soft calls. From Cagayan de Oro to Mindanao Container Terminal, Iligan, and Ozamiz, every declaration is watched, every valuation checked, every peso accounted for.

This isn’t about applause—it’s about command presence. Zurbito’s message is clear: what is due will be collected. Period.

NEPOMUCENO’S MESSAGE IS LOUD AND CLEAR

These numbers are not isolated wins. They are the result of a unified direction under Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, whose mandate is being executed—decisively—across ports.

Every surplus peso strengthens government programs, infrastructure, education, and public services under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s national development agenda.

Bottom line:
2026 didn’t arrive quietly.
It arrived with receipts.

And if January is any indication, the Bureau of Customs—under Nepomuceno and collectors like Torralba, Reyes, Mapa, and especially Zurbito—is not slowing down.

Customs is locked in. And it’s collecting hard.

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