President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Bienvenido Rubio as commissioner of the Bureau of Customs, replacing acting commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz.
Malacanang made the announcement Friday, days after the bureau celebrated its 121st anniversary, which was attended by Mr. Marcos.
Also on Friday, the Palace released the names of new appointees, including the respective heads of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).
NTC officer-in-charge Deputy Commissioner Ella Blanca Lopez has been tapped as the agency’s new commissioner, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil confirmed.
Garafil also announced the appointment of Maj. Gen. Leonel Nicolas the new chief of ISAFP, the office in charge of the military’s intelligence efforts.
Meanwhile, resigned undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian was appointed as undersecretary for the Rice Industry Development of the Department of Agriculture.
Before his most recent appointment, Rubio was port operations service chief, and had also been assigned to the Intelligence Group and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service offices in Manila International Container Terminal (North Harbor) and the Port of Manila (South Harbor).
He served during the time of then Customs commissioners Ruffy Biazon, Angelito Alvarez, John Sevilla and the late Danilo Lim.
Under Rubio’s leadership, the agency is tasked to collect P901.3 billion, including P570.3 billion in value-added taxes from imports, P207.4 billion worth of excise taxes, P105.1 billion in import duties, and P18.5 billion from other fees.
In 2022, the BoC achieved the highest annual revenue collection in history amounting to P862.929 billion, exceeding its target collection of P721.52 billion by 19.6% or P141.409 billion. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
The 2022 revenue collection performance showed an increase of 34.1 percent or P219.367 billion compared to the P643.562 billion revenue collection in 2021.
It was the first time in the agency’s history that all ports exceeded their annual collection targets.
Rubio vowed to curb smuggling, hit the collection target, simplify and secure trade facilitation at the Bureau of Custom.
The Bureau of Customs accounts for about a fifth of the government’s annual income.
He said his priorities were to hit and surpass the revenue target, simplify and secure the facilitation of trade, curb smuggling of any form, and lift the morale of workers at the bureau.
A native of Batac, Ilocos Norte, Rubio rose from the ranks of the Customs with his first assignment as Special Agent 1 in 2001.
He was later promoted as a Special Investigator, then as Intelligence Officer I, and was later designated as the Officer in Charge of the Intelligence Division for the Manila International Container Port and the Port of Manila until 2013.
Rubio said he will use his extensive background in intelligence and investigative work to protect the country’s borders from all forms of smuggling, especially those involving agricultural products and dangerous drugs.
“Over and above, I aspire to foster a healthier trade environment which will contribute to the expansion and economic recovery of the country by equipping the Bureau of Customs with better and modernized mechanisms for trade facilitation, and a more improved collection efficiency through the introduction of these sustainable reforms,” he said.
Rubio committed himself to continue the success of his predecessors and introduce programs that will reinforce the efforts of Customs to fulfill its mandates.
In line with the President’s priority programs, Rubio said he would review and revise Customs processes by digitizing all the BOC processes, which is in line with the President’s call for a transparent and efficient government.
“I believe in promoting good governance by strengthening the Bureau of Customs first, through active collaboration with its partner-agencies and stakeholders. Essentially, stakeholders will always be considered and included in the process of improving customs services and procedures,” he said.
“I am also confident that 90 percent of the problems encountered by the customs administration can be solved just by looking at things in an inward perspective,” he said.
Garafil said the appointment paper of Lopez, a lawyer, was signed on Feb. 7.
Lopez earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman and studied law at the Ateneo de Manila University.
A government agency attached to the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the NTC is primarily responsible for the regulation, supervision, adjudication, and control of all telecommunications services and television and radio networks in the country.
Nicolas, whose appointment paper was signed on Feb. 1, was among the military officers who were recently promoted to two-star rank.
Before his new post, Nicolas served as the AFP’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence.
He was also the commander of the Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade and the Joint Task Force Zamboanga.
Nicolas became chief of staff and assistant chief of staff for operations and commanded the 10th and 5th Infantry Battalions of the 1st Infantry Division.
He is an Airborne and Scout Ranger and a well-rounded military officer with expertise in operations, intelligence, and managerial acumen.
Marcos, Garafil said, the President signed on Feb. 7 the appointment papers of the new members of the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (NTIPC) and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), both operating under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The President designated Arturo Baesa, Annie Geron, Angelita Señorin, and Jesus Villamor as members of the NTIPC, representing the labor sector.
Meanwhile, Juan Johnny dela Cruz and Alfonso Lao were appointed as members of the RTWPB in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Romeo Sustiguer Jr. as board member in Caraga, representing the employers’ sector.
The RTWPB is responsible for setting minimum wages and promoting productivity improvement programs.
Marcos also tapped Romeo Leyes (Director IV), Josemari Hernando (Director III), and Lita Rosales (Director III) as new officials at the Department of Agrarian Reform; Karen Kristien Roscom (Director IV) at the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards; Paul Limson (Director IV) at the Bureau of Animal Industry; and Ma. Jozzenne Claire Beltran-Carandan and Maria Dionesia Rivera-Guillermo IV, both Deputy Executive Director IV at the Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Office.