BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno; Undersecretary Alu Dorotan Tiuseco; Assistant Secretary Dakila Elteen Napao; Deputy and Assistant Commissioners; Port of Batangas District Collector Carmelita Talusan; fellow workers in government: Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.

Una sa lahat, maraming salamat sa inyong napakainit na pagtanggap sa amin sa Department of Finance dito sa Batangas Port.

This inspection is part of our continuing visits to the country’s major ports. Nagsimula tayo sa Cebu noong nakaraang buwan. At sabi nga nila, wala pa raw Finance Secretary na bumisita doon. At ganoon din daw dito sa Batangas. Eh para saan pa at ako’y taga-Batangas kung hindi ko kayo bibisitahin?

So if we’re breaking records today, that’s a good start. But the real records we want to break are corruption, inefficiency, and red tape. And of course, the records we want to set are in revenues — not just hitting, but surpassing our collection targets.

Why are we doing this? Simple lang. Because our ports are not just gateways for goods. They are the first line of defense for our economy, our security, and our integrity as a nation.

And if there’s any port that truly stands as a pillar of our economy, it is most probably Batangas Port.

This is the second-largest revenue-generating port in the Philippines, contributing a quarter of the BOC’s total collection. Batangas Port’s average annual collection amounts to 224 billion pesos.

With much of that revenue coming from motor vehicles, fuel, and petroleum products, we can say that this is the port that keeps our cars running and our cities powered.

From Toyota, Shell, and Unioil, to Mitsubishi, Ford, and Chevron, the biggest players in energy and mobility pass through these docks.

Ganoon na lamang po ka importante ang trabaho natin dito. Your work here fuels the daily life of every Filipino and powers national progress.

And with major developments like the Phase II expansion of the Batangas Container Terminal and the entry of ICTSI to modernize operations, Batangas will remain the logistics powerhouse of Southern Luzon for years to come.

So we’ve seen progress here not only in revenue but in reforms from real-time vessel monitoring apps, digital dashboards that track collections and cargo, to faster document processing systems.

For we know that every delay cut, every leak plugged, every peso saved from corruption — is a peso earned for the Filipino people.

That’s why after Batangas, we will inspect our other ports as well to listen and to make sure that our policies are working on the ground.

We need to work more closely together to build a port system that is cleaner, faster, and more secure— one that not only powers trade, but earns trust, here and abroad.

Because trust is what brings in investments, creates jobs, and drives lasting growth.

Investors don’t just look at our economic data. What matters more is how we move our goods, how we enforce our rules, and how we protect their trust. So, let’s make our ports not just gateways of goods, but gateways of good governance.

Every ship that docks here brings not only goods. It brings opportunities for jobs, better services, and a better life.

Muli, maraming maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat sa walang sawang serbisyo.

Together, let’s continue building a government and a nation worthy of the people’s trust and the world’s confidence.

At patuloy po nating siguraduhin na bawat barkong dumarating dito sa Batangas Port ay hindi lang may dalang kalakal, kundi may dalang pag-asa para sa isang Bagong Pilipinas at isang matatag na Batangas.

Maraming Salamat po sa inyong lahat.