One hundred days in government can disappear in meetings, memos, and manufactured press releases.

Not in Cebu.

At the Bureau of Customs–Port of Cebu, the first 100 days of District Collector Alexandra Yap-Lumontad sent a clear message across the docks, offices, and subports: this is not business as usual.

February 6, 2026, marked her 100th day in office. By February 9, the results were already visible—tighter systems, clearer command lines, disciplined operations, and a workforce that knows exactly what is expected of them.

From Day One, Yap-Lumontad imposed what many ports quietly avoid: accountability. Internal systems were tightened. Frontline coordination was sharpened. Standards were enforced—not suggested. The tone was unmistakable: professionalism is no longer optional.

This did not happen in a vacuum.

Yap-Lumontad’s leadership reflects the reformist direction set at the top by Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, whose mandate across the Bureau is blunt and uncompromising: clean up, modernize, and perform. Cebu is proving that this directive is not just rhetoric—it is executable policy.

Under Yap-Lumontad’s watch, operational oversight was strengthened, processes were streamlined, and inter-office silos were broken down. The result: faster responses to operational demands, stronger support for trade facilitation, and steadier revenue performance—all without sacrificing enforcement discipline.

But the most telling shift is not mechanical. It is cultural.

Instead of ruling from a distance, Yap-Lumontad engaged officers and personnel directly. She listened. She aligned. She demanded teamwork. Morale followed performance, and performance followed leadership. In a bureaucracy where disengagement often breeds inefficiency, Cebu Customs moved in the opposite direction.

This mirrors Commissioner Nepomuceno’s core reform philosophy: systems matter, but people make them work. From Manila to Cebu, that principle is now visible on the ground.

Reflecting on the milestone, Yap-Lumontad kept the message grounded—and pointed.

“The past 100 days have been about listening, understanding the Port’s needs, and working decisively to move us forward. Every gain we have achieved is the result of dedication and commitment from our people. This milestone is only the beginning.”

In tabloid terms, here’s the headline beneath the headline:

Cebu Customs is no longer warming up. It is already in motion.

With Commissioner Nepomuceno driving reforms from the top and Collector Yap-Lumontad enforcing discipline on the ground, the Port of Cebu is shaping up as a working model of what Customs reform is supposed to look like—firm, focused, and unafraid to demand results.

One hundred days down.

The pressure—and expectations—are now even higher.

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