The right man for a taxing job

Imagine if you were responsible for 80 percent of a company’s revenue. Essentially, it would mean that the salaries, operating expenses, capital, supply, stock and inventory of the corporation would pretty much depend on how well you perform your duties.

Now imagine if you were responsible for 80 percent of an entire country’s revenue. All the government’s projects and programs – covering every aspect of administration, bureaucracy, infrastructure, social services and their total combined execution – would be anchored on how well you and your agency could fund them. As the Millennials and Gen-Z would say jokingly: no pressure, right?

Given the sheer gravity and importance of this role, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) surely gave a lot of thought and consideration before selecting the best person to lead the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Well, as majority of Filipinos probably know by now, he made an absolutely stellar choice in appointing Commissioner Romeo “Jun” Lumagui Jr. to the post. As explained in succeeding paragraphs, that’s not even a subjective opinion – it’s a quantitative conclusion based on numbers.

Under Lumagui’s hands-on, boots-on-the-ground leadership, the BIR hit their annual target for the first time in 20 years (understandably, the pandemic year 2020 is excluded, given that it was a global anomaly). And take note: he’s only been on the job for two years.

Last March, the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) challenged the tax agency to collect P2.48 trillion for the country by the end of 2024. Lumagui’s response? “We’ve got the right people, we’ve instituted the right reforms and we are determined to show the public that we are sincere in our mission to provide better service. We can do it!”

The BIR not only met the DBCC target; by the time the figures are tallied and finalized next month, they will surely surpass it. Having spoken to many of my friends who work at the agency, there is a noticeable air of camaraderie, morale and reignited passion among them – and they all attest that it is due to management style, guidance, direction and personal example set by their commissioner. “But please don’t tell Sir Jun that we said that, he will downplay and even be shy about it. He doesn’t really feel comfortable in the limelight, even if he deserves to be there,” they collectively appealed.

Based solely on credentials, Lumagui is undoubtedly qualified for his current role. After ranking 19th overall in the 2006 Bar examinations, he worked in private law firms for 10 years before his first stint in the public sector. He first served as technical assistant to the BIR commissioner, before being designated as tax fraud head for several regions. Thanks to his solid performance, he became a deputy commissioner, before being appointed by PBBM in November of 2022.

In two short years, the BIR achieved several notable milestones, including 100 percent nationwide ISO certification for various frontline processes, the Civil Service Commission’s Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (CSC PRIME-HRM) Maturity Level II Accreditation and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) Seal of Registration in the previous year.

Qualifications and achievements aside, however, it might be the mindset and attitude that he brings to the job that made the biggest difference. Indeed, due to his programs and policies, many have referred to the agency as the “new and improved BIR,” or the “reformed BIR.” While other appointees would embrace these labels with open arms, Lumagui prefers that the BIR under his leadership be known as a “taxpayer-oriented agency.”

“Taxpayers must see and feel for themselves that the BIR is dedicated to good governance reforms. If government agencies improve their services, processes and programs, our countrymen will do the right thing and pay their proper share of taxes,” he noted.

Truer words were never spoken, Commissioner Jun. As you have demonstrated through your actions, that statement is as certain as death and taxes.