Bureau of Customs - Port of Cagayan de Oro

05/09/2026

𝗕𝗢𝗖 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗫 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗣𝗔-𝗣𝗠𝗢 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲-𝗜𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Collection District X, under the leadership of District Collector Arnaldo M. Saulong, together with Sub-Port of Iligan Collector Nasrudin D. G**o, conducted productive meetings with officials of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) – Port Management Office (PMO) Lanao del Norte/Iligan at the Port Area in Iligan City on August 27, 2026.

Representing the PPA-PMO Lanao del Norte/Iligan was Port Manager Arthur B. Nogas. Meanwhile, Global Port, the port’s arrastre operator, was represented by General Manager Edgar Allan M. Gallardo and Operations Manager Arlene A. Bongalos.

The meeting highlighted the agencies’ shared commitment to strengthening coordination and collaboration to enhance cargo handling efficiency, streamline port operations, and further improve trade facilitation in Iligan City and the province of Lanao del Norte.

Aside from promoting the Port of Cagayan de Oro, District Collector Saulong is likewise exploring opportunities to attract new markets and expand trade activities in other ports within Collection District X, including the Port of Iligan. These efforts aim to maximize the potential of the District’s ports as gateways for trade and contribute to the growth of local economies.

The initiative is aligned with the directives of BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno to strengthen collaboration with government agencies and industry stakeholders, foster trade facilitation, and support economic development across the region.

04/09/2026

𝗕𝗢𝗖 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗗𝗢 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗯-𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻

Strengthening leadership engagement, coordination, and operational improvement across its areas of jurisdiction, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Collection District X District Collector Arnaldo M. Saulong conducted his first official visit to the Sub-Port of Iligan at the Port Area, Tomas Cabili Avenue, Iligan City, on August 27, 2026.

The Sub-Port of Iligan, headed by Port Collector Nasrudin D. G**o, exercises jurisdiction over the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, including the cities of Iligan and Marawi.

During his visit, District Collector Saulong expressed his appreciation to the men and women of the Sub-Port of Iligan for their invaluable contribution to the overall revenue collection performance of Collection District X. He likewise called for their continued commitment to strengthening the Bureau’s border protection efforts and combating all forms of smuggling.

The Sub-Port of Iligan also continues to uphold its commitment to quality customs service, having been recognized in 2022 as the first ISO 9001:2015-certified sub-port in Mindanao. Since then, it has consistently maintained its certification, demonstrating its sustained adherence to international standards in the delivery of customs services.

The visit underscores Collector Saulong’s commitment to strengthening leadership engagement and supporting employee welfare. It likewise reinforces the Bureau’s continuing efforts to empower its personnel in fulfilling its mandate of revenue collection, trade facilitation, and border protection, in line with Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno’s Integrity, Accountability, and Modernization (IAM) program.

02/09/2026

𝗕𝗢𝗖 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗴𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cagayan de Oro, under the leadership of District Collector Arnaldo M. Saulong, further strengthened its campaign against cigarette smuggling as it brought the “Bantay Baybay: Inter-Agency Information and Community Awareness Drive Against Cigarette Smuggling in Northern Mindanao” to Barangay Del Carmen, Iligan City, on August 27, 2026.

Joining the BOC in the campaign were partner law enforcement and government agencies, including the PNP Maritime Group, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Task Force Iligan, Iligan CLENRO and the City Agriculture Office of the Iligan City Local Government Unit.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), led by CIIS-CDO Field Station Chief Redford Surposa, provided the fisherfolk associations with an overview of the Bureau of Customs’ role in preventing and suppressing smuggling, including the legal and other repercussions of using their bancas or fishing vessels in illicit activities. Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials, such as brochures, were also distributed to help fisherfolk identify and report smuggling activities.

Representing Mayor Frederick W. Siao, Mr. Kevin Fernan of the Iligan City Agriculture Office commended the BOC for the initiative and expressed the city’s support for the Bantay Baybay campaign. He noted that Iligan City has 13 coastal communities that can play an important role in the collective effort to combat cigarette smuggling.

Meanwhile, District Collector Saulong expressed his appreciation to the fisherfolk communities for their participation and emphasized that combating illicit trade is not only a law enforcement responsibility but also a collective effort to protect government revenues and legitimate businesses, which, in turn, contribute to national development.

The “Bantay Baybay” campaign marks the Bureau of Customs’ first community-driven initiative of its kind in the country, strengthening the Bureau’s collaborative approach to combating cigarette smuggling. It supports BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno’s directive to intensify community participation and accountability in suppressing the illicit cigarette trade.

01/09/2026

29/08/2026

26/08/2026

𝗕𝗢𝗖 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗫 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗦𝗜 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

District Collector Arnaldo M. Saulong of Bureau of Customs (BOC) Collection District X, together with MCT Subport Collector Engr. Elvin Maurice R. Mackay, conducted an on-site tour of the facilities and operations of Mindanao International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (MICTSI) at the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, on August 25, 2026.

MICTSI manages and operates the Mindanao Container Terminal, a strategic trade gateway in Northern Mindanao that supports the region’s growing international commerce through efficient and reliable cargo-handling services for vessels engaged in global trade.

MICTSI General Manager Aurelio C. Garcia and Terminal Manager Atty. Gemma M. Gloria facilitated the site tour and briefed BOC officials on the current status of terminal operations, ongoing system enhancements, and key infrastructure development projects aimed at improving cargo-handling efficiency and expanding the terminal’s capacity.

During the visit, District Collector Saulong expressed optimism over MICTSI’s continued berth expansion and acquisition of additional equipment, including the 261 plug-in generators for re**er containers serving both import and export shipments, as well as the additional 180 plugs planned for next year. He noted that these developments will further strengthen the terminal’s capacity, efficiency, and ability to accommodate increasing trade activity.

Saulong emphasized that the ongoing improvements at the terminal complement the Bureau’s efforts to promote Northern Mindanao’s ports as strategic gateways for international trade and to encourage potential investors to utilize the region’s growing logistics and trade infrastructure.

He likewise underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between the Bureau and private-sector stakeholders in ensuring efficient port operations, facilitating legitimate trade, and supporting the region’s economic growth.

The initiative is aligned with the directives of BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno to strengthen collaboration with industry stakeholders and enhance the efficiency of the country’s trade gateways, in support of the Bureau’s Integrity, Accountability, and Modernization (IAM) Movement.

25/08/2026

STATEMENT ON THE RECENT INCIDENT INVOLVING BOC AND PNP-HPG PERSONNEL IN BULACAN

While the recent incident in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, involving BOC - Port of Subic personnel conducting a lawful condemnation activity and personnel of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) is considered isolated, Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno stands firmly in support of BOC personnel in the lawful performance of their duties. The Commissioner emphasized that Customs personnel must be accorded due respect, professionalism, and proper treatment at all times, consistent with established inter-agency protocols.

At the same time, the BOC appreciates the swift action taken by the PNP leadership to address the matter. The Bureau does not intend for this isolated incident to overshadow the strong partnership between the two agencies.



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