(Photo courtesy of MPC Pool)
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a major leadership reshuffle involving four government agencies responsible for revenue collection, customs administration, investment promotion and economic development.
During separate oath-taking ceremonies at Malacañang Palace, Marcos appointed Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno as the new president and chief executive officer of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), replacing Joshua Bingcang, who will take over the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza was named the new Customs chief, while Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary Rolando Ligon Jr. assumed leadership of the BIR.
The appointments mark another round of leadership changes in key economic agencies under the Marcos administration.
Mendoza’s transfer comes exactly one year after he assumed leadership of the BIR on November 13, 2025.
A lawyer and licensed geodetic engineer who ranked third in the 2004 Bar examinations, Mendoza previously served as district collector at the Port of Cebu from July 2019 to October 2022.
He also held the position of DOF undersecretary for revenue operations, overseeing the BIR and BOC before his appointment as the country’s chief tax collector.
In a statement, Mendoza thanked Marcos for his continued trust and expressed readiness to return to the Customs bureau.
“I have always believed that public service means doing our best and doing as much good as we can in the time we are given, wherever we are called to serve. I am honored to accept this new assignment at the Bureau of Customs,” Mendoza said.
He vowed to continue reforms initiated by Nepomuceno, particularly efforts to strengthen border security, improve revenue collection and facilitate legitimate trade.
“I look forward to working with the men and women of the BOC to carry out the priorities of President Marcos, Jr. and Secretary [Frederick] Go—strengthening border protection, sustaining revenue collection, and facilitating legitimate trade. We have important work ahead of us, and I am ready to get started,” Mendoza added.
Meanwhile, incoming BIR Commissioner Ligon previously headed the DOF’s Revenue Operations Group, which supervises both the BIR and BOC.
He also oversaw the Revenue Integrity Protection Service, which investigates corruption allegations and conducts lifestyle checks on government revenue officials.
Ligon served on the PEZA Board in April 2025 and chaired the technical committee of the Fiscal Incentives Review Board.
Mendoza urged BIR personnel to support Ligon and ensure the continuation of ongoing tax modernization initiatives.
Nepomuceno, who assumed leadership of the BOC on July 1, 2025, will now oversee the BCDA’s development initiatives.
Before becoming Customs commissioner, Nepomuceno served as BOC deputy commissioner for enforcement from 2013 to 2017 and assistant commissioner from 2017 to 2018.
He also held senior positions in disaster management, including executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and undersecretary of the Office of Civil Defense.
At the BCDA, Nepomuceno succeeds Bingcang, who has led the agency since June 2023.
Bingcang, a licensed electrical engineer with nearly three decades of experience at the BCDA, played a role in major infrastructure and development projects, including New Clark City, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and the Pax Silica initiative.
Before becoming BCDA president, Bingcang served as senior vice president for the agency’s Business Development and Operations Group.
His transfer to PEZA places him in charge of an agency responsible for promoting investments, managing economic zones and supporting export-oriented industries.
The leadership changes come as the administration continues efforts to improve government revenue collection, strengthen trade facilitation and attract investments.
The reshuffle also places new officials at the helm of agencies central to the government’s economic and infrastructure development programs.
