A new building. A tougher mandate. And a louder message from the Bureau of Internal Revenue: better facilities must mean faster service, stronger accountability, and bigger results for the Filipino people.

BIR Commissioner Atty. Charlito Martin R. Mendoza led the inauguration and blessing of the new Revenue District Office No. 56–Central Laguna along Bucal Bypass Road, Barangay Lamesa, Calamba City, on August 3, 2026—turning what could have been a simple ribbon-cutting ceremony into a blunt reminder that modernization means nothing if taxpayers do not feel the difference.

Standing firmly behind the Commissioner is Deputy Commissioner for Operations Atty. Vener Baquiran, whose operational leadership reinforces the BIR’s push to transform frontline tax offices into more efficient, taxpayer-responsive government service centers.

MENDOZA’S MESSAGE WAS CLEAR: A BETTER BUILDING MUST PRODUCE BETTER SERVICE.

No excuses. No complacency.

The Commissioner challenged BIR personnel to prove that a modern workplace can deliver modern public service.

«“A better workplace should help our revenuers perform better. And better-supported revenuers should be able to provide faster, more courteous, and more responsive service.”»

That challenge cuts straight to the heart of tax administration.

The BIR is not merely collecting money. It is dealing with millions of taxpayers whose time, resources and livelihoods are directly affected by government efficiency.

For Mendoza, every peso collected must be matched by professionalism, transparency and service with urgency.

He echoed the challenge earlier issued by Finance Secretary Frederick Go—raise the quality of service, improve taxpayer engagement, and explain BIR programs and procedures clearly.

And Mendoza did not sugarcoat the expectation.

The new RDO 56 building is not a trophy. It is a test.

A test of whether government can deliver faster transactions.

A test of whether taxpayers can walk into a government office without being buried under unnecessary delays.

And a test of whether BIR personnel can translate modernization into actual results on the ground.

The new facility provides a more spacious and improved working environment for BIR employees while making essential taxpayer services more accessible and convenient.

Registration, TIN issuance, records management and other frontline transactions are expected to benefit from the upgraded infrastructure, including cashless and contactless payment mechanisms designed to cut waiting time and eliminate unnecessary administrative friction.

But the real battle, as Mendoza emphasized, is not fought with concrete, glass and steel.

It is fought through performance.

And this is where Baquiran’s role becomes critical.

As Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Atty. Vener Baquiran stands on the operational frontline of the Bureau’s drive to ensure that policies and modernization initiatives do not remain trapped inside conference rooms and memoranda.

They must reach the taxpayer.

They must reach the frontline employee.

They must produce measurable improvements.

The inauguration also puts the BIR D.A.R.E.S. Program under the spotlight, particularly its thrust toward Employee Empowerment and Welfare Promotion, Service Excellence, and Stakeholder Engagement.

For Mendoza and Baquiran, the equation is simple:

Empower the people. Modernize the workplace. Improve the service. Strengthen compliance. Protect the nation’s revenues.

Revenue Region No. 9B–LAQUEMAR, led by Regional Director Christine Juliet R. Chua, together with RDO No. 56 officials and Calamba City Mayor Roseller “Ross” H. Rizal, joined the BIR leadership in marking the opening of the new facility.

Mayor Rizal likewise recognized the BIR’s continuing partnership in supporting a business environment conducive to investment and economic growth in Central Laguna.

But beyond the ceremony and the photographs, one message should remain loud and unmistakable:

THE TAXPAYER IS WATCHING.

A new building raises expectations.

A modern office raises the bar.

And stronger leadership raises the standard.

Under Mendoza’s stewardship, with Baquiran driving operations, the BIR is sending a signal that modernization is no longer just about computers, buildings and digital systems.

It is about changing the culture of public service.

Because at the end of the day, taxpayers do not measure government by the size of its buildings.

They measure it by how quickly they are served, how clearly they are assisted, how fairly they are treated—and whether government respects the money they surrender to keep the country running.

RDO 56 has opened its new doors.

Now comes the harder part.

Deliver. Perform. Respond.

Because for the BIR, every peso matters—and so does every taxpayer.

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