APPARENTLY RECOGNIZED by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for his vital role in apprehending the smuggling of various commodities, including dangerous drugs and agricultural products, the Chief Executive has named Bienvenido Y. Rubio as the new Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs.
Bien Rubio — a native of Batac, Ilocos Norte — who rose from the ranks has replaced Yogi Filemon Ruiz, of Cebu, as the top official of BOC who was only appointed as Acting Commissioner in July last year.
Office at Malacañang made the announcement last February 10, although the appointment paper was signed by the President Marcos Jr., on February 8.
Before he was tapped by PBBM, Bien Rubio was the director of the BOC-Port Operations Service (POS) under the Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group (AOCG) which is tasked to advance the implementation of policies in enhancing port utilization and monitoring the storage, auction, and disposal activities of all collection districts.
Waterfront News gathered that many Customs employees and stakeholders were elated by Bien Rubio’s appointment as the new BOC Commissioner since he really rose from the ranks, having first assigned as Special Agent 1 in 2001.
Bien Rubio was later promoted as a Special Investigator, then as Intelligence Officer I, and was later designated as the officer-in-charge of the Intelligence Division for the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and the Port of Manila (POM) until 2013.
In January 2021, then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte appointed Rubio as Director III after holding the positions of Intelligence Officer III and IV from 2013 to 2021.
In line with the President’s Priority Programs and in revitalizing the BoC, Bien Rubio disclosed that his plans of action include the review and revision of Customs Processes geared towards the President’s call for a transparent and efficient government; enhance the competencies and integrity of personnel to ensure the delivery of quality public service; adopt a data-driven culture to ensure that the data gathered are utilized in the decision making for every level of the organization; and link the actions of the agency to the feedbacks and evaluation from its partners and stakeholders.
“I believe in promoting good governance by strengthening the Bureau of Customs first, through active collaboration with its partner-agencies and stakeholders. Essentially, stakeholders will always be considered and included in the process of improving customs services and procedures,” Bien Rubio stressed.
He added: “I am also confident that 90 percent of the problems encountered by the customs administration can be solved just by looking at things in an inward perspective.”
Bien Rubio vowed that he will utilize his extensive background in intelligence and investigative work in buttressing the resolve of the BOC to protect the country’s borders from all forms of smuggling, especially those involving agricultural products and dangerous drugs. “Over and above, I aspire to foster a healthier trade environment which will contribute to the expansion and economic recovery of the country by equipping the Bureau of Customs with better and modernized mechanisms for trade facilitation, and a more improved collection efficiency through the introduction of these sustainable reforms,” Bien Rubio concluded. [F.O]
