While many only notice the Bureau of Customs when there’s controversy, something refreshingly human unfolded at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) this Christmas season — and it deserves front-page treatment.

Under the leadership of District Collector Rizalino Jose C. Torralba, the BOC-MICP rolled out its 2025 Social Responsibility Program, putting the spotlight where it truly belongs: on the utility workers and security guards who quietly keep the port running, clean, and secure day after day.

These are the people who sweep the docks before sunrise, man the gates through scorching heat and pounding rain, and keep order while others go unnoticed. This time, MICP made sure they were seen.

Meals were served. Gift packs were handed out. Families were welcomed. And for once, the message was loud and clear: no one at the port is expendable.

Collector Torralba didn’t sugarcoat it. He acknowledged what many leaders forget — that smooth port operations don’t happen by magic. They happen because of discipline, sacrifice, and dedication from the lowest ranks upward. In a bureaucracy often accused of being top-heavy, Torralba sent a powerful signal: leadership means remembering who holds the line when no cameras are around.

“This season of giving reminds us that public service is strengthened by unity, respect, and compassion,” Torralba said — words that didn’t ring hollow because they were backed by action.

This initiative also echoes the broader leadership tone set by Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, whose push for community engagement, morale-building, and inclusive governance is slowly redefining what the Bureau of Customs should stand for. Under Nepomuceno’s watch, the message is clear: reform isn’t just about collections and seizures — it’s about people.

At MICP, Christmas wasn’t about speeches or press releases. It was about dignity. It was about recognizing the unseen workforce that makes the system work.

In a season often filled with noise and hypocrisy, this simple act spoke volumes. Torralba executed it. Nepomuceno set the tone. And for once, the Bureau of Customs showed that real public service begins at the ground level — exactly where it should.

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