The Bureau of Customs (BOC) enters the final quarter of 2026 with a growing revenue cushion, keeping its first P1-trillion annual collection target within reach despite the need for sustained collections through year-end.
The BOC collected a record P757.406 billion from January to September, exceeding its nine-month target of P748.494 billion by P8.913 billion, or 1.2 percent. The bureau has therefore already generated roughly three-fourths of its full-year programmed collection of about P1.003 trillion, leaving approximately P245.6 billion to be raised in the final three months.
That remaining requirement translates to average monthly collections of about P81.9 billion during the fourth quarter, below the P93.339 billion collected in September. While the gap appears manageable based on recent performance, the final-quarter pace will remain important given the potential impact of import demand, commodity prices, and broader economic activity on customs revenues.
The nine-month tally also points to an improvement beyond target performance. Collections were P55.735 billion, or 7.9 percent, higher than the same period last year, suggesting that the bureau’s gains reflect both stronger year-on-year revenue generation and improved performance against its programmed targets.
September provided an additional boost. Monthly collections reached P93.339 billion, surpassing the P89.184-billion target by P4.155 billion, or 4.7 percent, while increasing 16.3 percent from September 2025.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the results showed the bureau was “on the right track” toward the P1-trillion milestone. The BOC attributed the stronger collections to tighter monitoring, improved valuation and assessment, intensified anti-smuggling enforcement, and continued customs modernization.
The fourth quarter will ultimately test whether the recent momentum can be sustained, but the bureau enters the closing stretch with a measurable cushion and a monthly collection requirement below its latest performance.
