MANILA — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) demonstrated strong collection performance in August 2026, with several Collection Districts significantly exceeding their respective revenue targets and providing a solid boost to the agency’s overall revenue effort.

As of August 31, 2026, 5:07 p.m., the BOC recorded ₱81.303 billion in monthly collections against a target of ₱82.943 billion.

While the bureau posted an overall shortfall of about ₱1.640 billion, or 1.98 percent, the figures also showed that 12 Collection Districts surpassed their assigned targets, reflecting the continued commitment of Customs personnel to revenue generation and operational efficiency.

Among the standout performers were Aparri, Legazpi, San Fernando, Iloilo, Tacloban, Clark, Subic, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Limay, Cebu and Zamboanga.

APARRI LEADS THE PACK

The Port of Aparri emerged as the strongest performer in percentage terms, collecting ₱182.36 million against a target of ₱67.44 million.

That translated into an impressive ₱114.91-million surplus, equivalent to a remarkable 170.39 percent positive deviation.

Credit goes to Port of Aparri District Collector Atty. Segundo Sigmundfreud Z. Barte Jr., whose leadership helped steer the district toward an extraordinary performance.

CLARK CONTINUES TO SHINE

Another notable performer was the Port of Clark, which collected ₱529.28 million, beating its ₱484.22-million target by ₱45.06 million, or 9.31 percent.

The result highlights the continuing contribution of Clark to the BOC’s revenue campaign under the leadership of District Collector Jairus Reyes.

Clark’s performance is particularly significant as the port continues to play an important role in supporting trade and economic activity in Central Luzon.

CDO DELIVERS ANOTHER POSITIVE RESULT

The Port of Cagayan de Oro also posted a commendable performance, collecting ₱3.952 billion against a target of ₱3.824 billion.

The district generated a ₱128.39-million surplus, equivalent to a 3.36-percent positive deviation.

Under District Collector Arnaldo Saulong, the Port of CDO continues to demonstrate that disciplined collection management, close coordination with stakeholders and sustained operational focus can translate into concrete revenue results.

ZAMBOANGA EDGES PAST TARGET

The Port of Zamboanga, meanwhile, recorded ₱884.15 million in collections against a target of ₱883.39 million.

Although the margin was slim, the district still finished ₱761,623.54 above target, posting a positive deviation of 0.09 percent.

Under District Collector Atty. Manuel O. Zurbito Jr., Zamboanga managed to cross the finish line above its assigned goal—a result that underscores the importance of maintaining collection momentum until the very end of the reporting period.

OTHER PORTS POST IMPRESSIVE SURPLUSES

The positive numbers were not limited to the four highlighted districts.

Legazpi collected ₱382.85 million, exceeding its target by ₱212.01 million or 124.10 percent.

San Fernando posted ₱672.01 million, generating a ₱158.15-million surplus or 30.78 percent above target.

Iloilo collected ₱461.85 million, surpassing its target by ₱102.06 million or 28.37 percent.

Tacloban delivered ₱304.23 million, exceeding target by ₱39.32 million or 14.84 percent.

Subic collected ₱4.423 billion, producing a ₱248.74-million surplus or 5.96 percent.

Davao generated ₱4.195 billion, beating its target by ₱158.52 million or 3.93 percent.

Limay posted ₱11.488 billion, exceeding its target by ₱253.18 million or 2.25 percent.

And Cebu collected ₱4.061 billion, surpassing its target by ₱85.80 million or 2.16 percent.

These performances collectively provided a substantial counterbalance to the shortfalls recorded by several other major ports.

SHORTFALLS SHOULD BE VIEWED IN PROPER CONTEXT

Five districts—Batangas, NAIA, MICP, Port of Manila and Surigao—finished below their respective August targets.

The Port of Batangas collected ₱20.588 billion against a ₱21.083-billion target, while NAIA recorded ₱3.627 billion against ₱3.769 billion.

The Manila International Container Port (MICP) posted ₱18.580 billion against a target of ₱20.478 billion, while the Port of Manila (POM) collected ₱6.745 billion against ₱7.568 billion.

Surigao, meanwhile, registered ₱2.135 million against its ₱56.923-million target.

These figures should not automatically be interpreted as a failure of leadership or collection effort. Revenue targets are influenced by port-specific circumstances, including the volume and nature of importations, trade activity, valuation and assessment, shipment arrivals, and other operational and economic factors.

A fair assessment therefore requires looking beyond a single month’s percentage deviation and considering the actual circumstances confronting each Collection District.
THE BIGGER PICTURE

What the August figures clearly demonstrate is that the BOC remains capable of producing strong collection results across a wide range of Collection Districts.

From Aparri’s phenomenal 170.39-percent positive deviation to the billion-peso contributions of Limay, Subic, Davao, Cebu and CDO, the numbers show that many ports are aggressively doing their part in helping the bureau achieve its national revenue objectives.

The challenge now is to sustain the momentum, address collection gaps, and provide the necessary support to districts facing legitimate operational and economic headwinds.

The August performance also puts a spotlight on the value of strong district-level leadership.
Atty. Barte in Aparri, Jairus Reyes in Clark, Arnaldo Saulong in Cagayan de Oro, and Atty. Manuel Zurbito Jr. in Zamboanga are among the district collectors who can take pride in leading their respective teams past their August collection commitments.

One bureau. Different ports. Different challenges. One mission: collect what is due to government.

And judging from the August numbers, many of the BOC’s frontline collection teams are answering that mission with results.

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