The Bureau of Customs–Port of Batangas is no longer waiting for opportunities—it is creating them.

In a bold demonstration of leadership, District Collector Carmelita “Mimel” Talusan took center stage at the 1st Southern Luzon Logistics Conference & Exhibit 2026, sending a powerful message that Batangas is determined to become the country’s premier gateway for trade, logistics, and investment.

Addressing nearly 200 industry leaders, government officials, investors, shipping executives, manufacturers, and logistics players, Talusan did more than deliver a keynote speech. She laid down a clear challenge: government and the private sector must work together to eliminate bottlenecks, accelerate trade, and make the Philippines more globally competitive.

This was not just another conference—it was a declaration that Customs is no longer confined within the walls of the port. Under Talusan’s leadership, the Port of Batangas is aggressively bringing Customs closer to stakeholders, proving that modernization succeeds only when government listens, engages, and acts.

The presence of global logistics giants, shipping companies, PEZA locators, customs brokers, importers, exporters, and major industry players underscored one undeniable reality: Batangas has become a strategic force in the country’s economic engine.

True to her hands-on leadership, Talusan ensured that the Bureau did not merely participate—it delivered. The BOC Information Booth became a one-stop center where businesses received direct assistance, customs guidance, and practical solutions to their concerns.

Supporting the effort were Deputy Collector for Operations Atty. Giovanni Ferdinand Leynes, Deputy Collector for Assessment Julius Herald Altiche, and other Customs officials, who provided stakeholders with valuable updates on importation, exportation, customs valuation, transshipment, transit procedures, and port operations.

Talusan also emphasized that every reform being pursued by the Port of Batangas is firmly aligned with the Integrity, Accountability, and Modernization (IAM) Movement of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno—a sweeping transformation that is reshaping the Bureau into a faster, more transparent, technology-driven, and globally competitive institution.

The message is unmistakable.

Collector Mimel Talusan is proving that Customs is no longer just an enforcement agency—it is becoming a catalyst for economic growth, investment, and national competitiveness.

As Southern Luzon continues to rise as a logistics powerhouse, one thing has become increasingly clear: the Port of Batangas is not merely keeping pace with change.

It is helping lead it.

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