The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Philippines) Inc. (FICCI) conferred the Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Government Service on Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno as the business community strongly supports his leadership and the reforms he has been implementing at the agency to facilitate legitimate trade.
The award was conferred to Commissioner Nepomuceno during the 6th Customs Industry Consultative and Advisory Council (CICAC) General Assembly on August 6, 2026 that brought together BOC and key industry stakeholders to discuss ongoing customs reforms, operational concerns, and measures to further facilitate legitimate trade.
The recognition highlighted the strong support of the business community for the BOC’s reform agenda and its continuing partnership with industry stakeholders toward a more modern, responsive, and trade-facilitative customs administration.
In presenting the award, FICCI cited Commissioner Nepomuceno’s leadership, integrity, and commitment to strengthening customs administration and facilitating legitimate trade.
“The peacock is India’s national bird, symbolizes integrity, wisdom, excellence and leadership, values that reflect the highest standards of public service. Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno has exemplified these qualities through his steadfast commitment to strengthening the Bureau of Customs, upholding integrity, facilitating legitimate trade, and serving the entire country with dedication and vision,” FICCI said during the awarding.
During the assembly, Commissioner Nepomuceno outlined the Bureau’s continuing reform agenda, highlighting progress in institutional reform, revenue collection, and the modernization and digital transformation of customs processes.
Commissioner Nepomuceno emphasized that reforming the Bureau can go hand in hand with strong revenue collection, noting that institutional reforms need not come at the expense of collection performance.
At the center of the Bureau’s modernization agenda is the full digitalization of customs processes, including payment, accreditation, container tracking, X-ray operations, and the Customs Processing System (CPS), complemented by organizational and infrastructure reforms aimed at improving the delivery of customs services.
A key matter discussed during the assembly was the new guidelines on the accreditation of importers and customs brokers through the Account Management Office (AMO). The discussion provided stakeholders with updates on the accreditation process and an avenue to raise concerns and clarify procedures, in line with the Bureau’s continuing efforts to make accreditation more streamlined, efficient, and responsive to the needs of the trading community.
The meeting also tackled solutions to seaport and airport congestion, the status of guidelines on local charges imposed by international shipping lines and logistics service providers, and stakeholder proposals on reducing cargo clearance costs and addressing port congestion through supply chain diversification.
Underscoring the importance of the private sector to the country’s economic growth, Commissioner Nepomuceno reaffirmed the Bureau’s commitment to becoming a reliable partner of businesses.
“We want to be your strong partner in making your businesses grow. You just have to trust us,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said.
He further emphasized the BOC’s broader responsibility in nation-building beyond its core mandates of revenue collection, trade facilitation, and border protection.
“Because we fully understand that the Bureau of Customs is a vital agency that is needed to make our nation prosperous. And to make the nation prosperous, it simply means the business sector should prosper. And we know our role, and we will play our role to the best of our abilities and capabilities,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said.
Customs Commissioner Nepomuceno receives the during the Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Government Service on Bureau of Customs (BOC) during the 6th Customs Industry Consultative and Advisory Council (CICAC) General Assembly on August 6, 2026.
The Golden Peacock Award and the active participation of industry stakeholders in the CICAC General Assembly underscore the value of sustained government-private sector collaboration as the BOC advances reforms aimed at facilitating trade, strengthening customs administration, and supporting national economic growth.
In closing, the Commissioner called on stakeholders to continue working alongside the Bureau throughout its transformation.
“Trust us and we will help you. And be open, let’s be friends in walking together in this long journey of making the Bureau of Customs modern and responsive,” Commissioner Nepomuceno concluded.
