Who is new Customs chief Charlito Mendoza?

Detailed summary

Commissioner Charlito Mendoza is moving to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as part of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s recent Executive branch leadership shake-up.

Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Charlito Mendoza is moving to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as part of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s latest shake-up in the executive branch.

Prior to his latest appointment, Mendoza served as Department of Finance (DOF) undersecretary of the Revenue Operations Group (ROG) and oversaw the operations of the BIR and the BOC.

He also served as District Collector for the BOC Port of Cebu from July 2019 to October 2022, helping the port achieve record-breaking revenue collection and significant milestones in border protection.

"I look forward to working with the men and women of the BOC to carry out the priorities of President Marcos Jr. and Secretary Go—strengthening border protection, sustaining revenue collection, and facilitating legitimate trade. We have important work ahead of us, and I am ready to get started," he added.

A lawyer and a licensed geodetic engineer, Mendoza took his oath as commissioner of the BOC on Friday.

He earned his law degree from San Beda University and his degree in geodetic engineering from the University of the Philippines.

During his tenure as BIR commissioner, Mendoza introduced BIR DARES, a five-pillar priority reform agenda covering Digital and Data Transformation; Audit Reform and Accountability; Revenue Collection and Revenue Base Protection; Employee Empowerment and Welfare Promotion; and Service Excellence and Stakeholder Engagement.

From January to October 2026, the BIR recorded P2.809 trillion in gross revenue collections, up 5.48% from the same period in 2025.

Under his leadership, the BIR also increased tax refunds to support businesses.

Opening of the article, excerpted from GMA News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.