Cabinet undergoes another reshuffle

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reshuffled key economic and revenue officials as he continues to streamline government transactions, Malacañang said on Friday.Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno takes over as Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president and CEO, replacing Joshua Bingcang, who moves to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) as director general.Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Charlito Mendoza takes over the Bureau of Customs (BOC), with Finance Undersecretary Rolando Ligon taking charge of the BIR.Outgoing PEZA Director General Tereso Panga has been named executive director of the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).“Filipinos want jobs closer to home, simpler transactions with government and public funds that translate into better services. To advance these priorities, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has made new assignments in the government’s revenue and investment team, with a clear focus on developing economic zones, bringing in investors and creating jobs,” said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro in a press briefing.It is the second Cabinet shake-up in less than a month, following the designation of Vince Dizon as Department of Transportation secretary, and Giovanni Lopez to the Department of Public Works and Highways head.Castro said the continued reshuffling reflects the administration’s objective to put experienced professionals in the right positions.“The President is putting experience to work toward clear results, economic zones that attract investments, businesses that create jobs and government services that people can rely on,” she said.Reacting to criticisms by business leaders that the revamp can “unsettle investors and lead to possible disruptions,” Castro said “the leadership within each agency operates in a unified manner; they do not work in isolation.”“If a leader — for instance, Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno — were to be replaced or moved to a different position, it does not mean that problems would arise for the Bureau of Customs, as the leadership teams work collaboratively,” she said.Castro added that a “whole-of-government” approach is being implemented. “Agencies do not operate independently or in a siloed fashion; rather, they work together to improve the economy and enhance revenue collection,” she said.In a statement on Thursday, Ligon confirmed his appointment, and vowed to sustain the government’s anti-corruption efforts and accelerate the agency’s digital modernization.“We will transform the BIR into a fully modernized, transparent and service-oriented institution where technology empowers our tax collectors and simplifies compliance for every taxpayer, ensuring that trust in our tax system is earned and preserved,” Ligon said.As Department of Finance undersecretary for the Revenue Operations Group, Ligon oversaw policies and performance monitoring for both the BIR and the BOC.The BIR expects to collect P3.39 trillion in taxes this year, while Customs has a collection target of P1.011 trillion.Castro also announced the appointment of Gamaliel Asis Cordoba as Supreme Court associate justice.Cordoba was the longest-serving commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission, from 2009 to 2022.He succeeds Amy Lazaro-Javier, who retires on Nov. 16 after reaching the mandatory age of retirement.Castro cited Cordoba’s extensive experience as chairman of the Commission on Audit (COA) in his appointment to the Supreme Court.“At COA, he led a comprehensive fraud audit of flood control projects, submitting at least 50 fraud audit reports to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. He also institutionalized GPS-based geotagging of all government infrastructure projects nationwide to ensure proper verification of project status,” said Castro during a press briefing.On the international stage, Cordoba served as the external auditor for the International Labor Organization and the World Trade Organization, and chaired the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Supreme Audit Institutions for 2024 and 2025.Asked who will replace Cordoba at COA, Castro said nothing has been finalized.In a related development, all 28 Cabinet members and senior executive officials assessed in the latest nationwide governance survey obtained passing ratings, according to RPMD Foundation Inc.Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian was the highest-rated official with 89 percent.The Governance Survey, conducted from Nov. 2 to 8, showed that all 28 officials scored above RPMD’s 55-percent passing benchmark, with 16 having ratings of at least 80 percent.President Marcos posted a 57-percent Index of Governance (IOG), up 1.9 percentage points from the previous survey.Marcos received a 56.2-percent trust rating and a 57.9-percent performance score, both contributing to his overall governance rating.House Speaker Faustino Dy III obtained a higher 63.1-percent IOG, up 3.2 percentage points, while Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian had 52.7 percent, up 5.6 percentage points but still below the survey’s passing benchmark.Among Cabinet officials, Rex Gatchalian topped the rankings with an 89-percent IOG, comprising 88.3-percent public trust and 89.8-percent performance ratings.Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos followed with 87.8 percent, while Education Secretary Sonny Angara posted 87.5 percent.Executive Secretary Ralph Recto received an 86.2-percent rating, followed by Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida (85.8 percent), Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla (85.5 percent) and Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon (85 percent).Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III and Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino scored 84.1 percent and 83.9 percent, respectively.Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. obtained 82.6 percent, followed by Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo Jr. (82.2 percent), Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (81.9 percent) and Trade Secretary Cristina Roque (81.1 percent).Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon scored 80.7 percent, Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum 80.4 percent and Finance Secretary Frederick Go 80.1 percent.RPMD Executive Director Paul Martinez said the IOG measures public trust and perceived performance, reflecting how citizens assess government leadership and the delivery of public services.The survey polled 10,000 randomly selected respondents nationwide.

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