Former Bureau of Internal Revenue chief Charlito Martin R. Mendoza took over the Bureau of Customs on Friday, pledging to strengthen border protection and revenue collection while easing the movement of legitimate trade.
Mendoza, appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., succeeds Ariel F. Nepomuceno. He took his oath after a stint at the BIR marked by changes to tax audits, expanded taxpayer services and digital reforms.
“I look forward to working with the men and women of the BOC to carry out the priorities of President Marcos and Secretary Go—strengthening border protection, sustaining revenue collection, and facilitating legitimate trade,” Mendoza said.
He acknowledged Nepomuceno’s reforms and pledged to build on his predecessor’s accomplishments.
The appointment brings Mendoza back to Customs, where he served as district collector of the Port of Cebu from July 2019 to October 2022.
He was Department of Finance undersecretary for the Revenue Operations Group from April 2024 to November 2025, overseeing revenue operations and collection performance at both Customs and the BIR.
At the BIR, Mendoza introduced rules generally limiting audits to one Letter of Authority per taxpayer per taxable year, subject to prescribed exceptions.
The overhaul included risk-based taxpayer selection, anonymized audit assignments and stronger taxpayer safeguards. A new audit manual and consolidated audit program standardized procedures and strengthened oversight.
BIR gross collections reached P2.809 trillion from January to October 2026, up 5.48 percent from a year earlier. Tax refunds increased to P24.1 billion from P13.67 billion during the same period.
Mendoza also advanced electronic invoicing and the phased rollout of the Taxpayer Portal. The agency pursued complaints against suspected tax evaders and intensified operations against illicit tobacco and vape products.
His BIR DARES agenda, covering digital transformation, audit accountability, revenue protection, employee welfare and service excellence, was incorporated into the agency’s 2026–2028 strategic plan.
A lawyer and licensed geodetic engineer, Mendoza placed third in the 2004 Philippine Bar Examinations. He earned his law degree from San Beda University and his engineering degree from the University of the Philippines.
“We have important work ahead of us, and I am ready to get started,” Mendoza said.
