HOUSE Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda on Sunday extended his congratulations to newly appointed Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, hailing the appointment as a victory for institutional reform and good governance.
“I congratulate my good friend and fellow disaster risk reduction champion, Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, on his well-earned appointment as head of the Bureau of Customs,” Salceda said in a statement.
Salceda recalled their close collaboration in crafting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 24, which established the Disaster Response and Crisis Management Task Force. “I saw firsthand his ability to align national security, humanitarian action, and institutional reform with discipline and quiet competence,” he noted.
As former head of the Office of Civil Defense, Nepomuceno was credited for transforming disaster governance into a more professional and science-based system. Salceda also highlighted the time Nepomuceno awarded him the Gawad Kalasag Hall of Fame, which he said symbolized their shared advocacy for life-saving institutional resilience.
“Commissioner Nepomuceno is a formidable man for formidable challenges,” Salceda added. “I am confident he will bring the same clarity, integrity, and strategic focus to Customs reform. His appointment is a win for good governance.”
Nepomuceno’s appointment to the Bureau of Customs comes at a time when the agency is under growing pressure to boost efficiency, curb smuggling, and reinforce transparency in trade processes.
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