There are days when a government agency simply follows tradition. But November 24, 2025, was not one of those days at the Bureau of Customs–Manila International Container Port (BOC-MICP).

From the moment the sun rose over North Harbor, one thing was clear: MICP was making a stand.
Employees—rank-and-file and executives alike—stepped out in bold orange shirts, the global color for courage and defiance against abuse. And on that morning, it wasn’t just about symbolism; it was about a promise.

A promise that under Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno’s leadership, violence, harassment, and silence would have no place in the new Bureau of Customs.

For months, Commissioner Nepomuceno has pushed an agenda that goes beyond digital reform and anti-smuggling campaigns. His message has been consistent:
A truly modern Bureau is one where human dignity is protected, where every woman is valued, and where safety is not negotiable.

And at MICP, that message has found a fierce champion—
District Collector Rizalino Jose C. Torralba.

A MORNING THAT FELT LIKE A MOVEMENT

During the regular flag ceremony, the Port opened the 2025 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women with the theme:
“UNiTEd for a VAW-Free Philippines.”

But this year, the campaign felt different. More urgent. More personal.

Collector Torralba stood before his officials, his voice steady but charged with conviction, as he led the recital of the Anti-VAW Pledge. Deputy Collectors joined him, signing their names not just as an obligation—but as a moral declaration.

This was not bureaucracy.
This was a battleground for values.

Torralba spoke openly, his words echoing through the Port grounds:

“We renew our unwavering commitment to a workplace where women are safe, respected, empowered, and heard. We uphold accountability, support survivors, and reject any form of violence or discrimination.”

It was a message that resonated far beyond the walls of MICP. It was a message to every woman in the Bureau of Customs—past, present, and future—that the culture is changing, and the leadership is no longer willing to look the other way.

A HEARTFELT STAND IN A TIME OF HARD TRUTHS

In a country where countless women suffer in silence, the actions of MICP send a powerful signal:
The fight against violence is not just a slogan. It is a moral duty.

Commissioner Nepomuceno’s reforms are often described in terms of technology, processes, and enforcement. But what happened at MICP proves something deeper—that under his leadership, reform is also about people, decency, and the courage to protect the vulnerable.

And Collector Torralba, known for his discipline and quiet dedication, showed that change doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it begins with a pledge, a signature, and a leader willing to say:
“No more.”

MICP: A PORT THAT CHOOSES COURAGE

Front-line ports like MICP are more than gateways of trade—they are workplaces where thousands spend most of their lives. When an institution this large chooses to confront violence, discrimination, and silence, it becomes more than a port.
It becomes a community that fights for its people.

On that Monday morning, the orange wave sweeping the Port did not just symbolize solidarity.
It symbolized hope.

Hope that in the Bureau of Customs, women will finally stand without fear.
Hope that dignity will no longer be negotiable.
Hope that the new era of reform—with Nepomuceno’s vision and Torralba’s execution—will build a Bureau where empowerment is real, and justice is lived every day.

Ending violence is not just a campaign.
It is the line the new Customs leadership refuses to cross.

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