The Port of Manila has once again demonstrated that when the Bureau of Customs (BOC) leadership moves with precision, the operations on the ground follow with speed. Following a high-level coordination meeting led by POM District Collector Alexander Gerard E. Alviar with Asian Terminals, Inc. (ATI), the Port announced a set of decisive measures aimed at unclogging container queues and accelerating trade flow.

These actions—swift, targeted, and grounded in operational realism—carry the unmistakable imprint of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno’s governance formula: accountability, predictability, and no-excuses efficiency.

Ariel Nepomuceno’s Standard: No Bottlenecks, No Delays

Under Comm. Nepomuceno, ports nationwide have been pushed to eliminate operational drag. The directive is simple but demanding: zero complacency, zero backlog.

The newly announced POM measures reflect this national marching order, signaling that the Commissioner expects ports not only to react to challenges, but to anticipate and prevent them.

Alviar’s Ground Command: Fast Decisions, Faster Execution

Collector Alviar’s coordination with ATI produced three key operational upgrades—each one aimed squarely at easing congestion and improving examination turnaround:

Zero backlog for all containers scheduled for examination
A clear-cut, no-room-for-delay policy fully aligned with Nepomuceno’s drive to ensure predictability in trade processing.

Extended examination hours
A direct move to absorb peak volumes and ensure that every truck and container already queued is processed within the day. No rollovers. No stagnation.

Delgado DEA to handle dry containers when reefer volume is low
A practical, efficiency-first shift that maximizes idle capacity without compromising the priority status of reefer cargo.

These are not just operational tweaks—they are management interventions characteristic of Alviar’s leadership: data-driven, collaborative, and action-oriented.

Where National Direction Meets Local Precision

The synergy between Comm. Nepomuceno’s standards and Collector Alviar’s execution is transforming POM into a port where issues are not allowed to accumulate. Stakeholders are experiencing what a responsive port looks like—one that adjusts operations dynamically, consults partners openly, and adapts swiftly to real-time port conditions.

A Partnership-Driven Port

The announcement ends with a call for continuous feedback, emphasizing that POM sees stakeholders not as passive clients, but as active partners. This collaborative approach—consistently practiced at POM—is exactly what Nepomuceno envisions: a customs bureau that works hand-in-hand with the private sector to achieve genuine trade facilitation.

The Bottom Line

POM’s zero-backlog initiative is more than an announcement.
It is proof that good leadership at the top and effective command on the ground create ports that move—not stall.

Under Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno and Collector Alex Alviar, the Port of Manila is driving forward with clarity, discipline, and purpose.

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