MANILA — No excuses. No slowdowns. No room for complacency.

At the Bureau of Customs – Port of Manila (BOC–POM), performance is not just expected — it is demanded. And in the first two months of 2026, the port’s leadership and frontline collectors proved exactly why Manila remains the undisputed powerhouse of customs revenue.

On March 4, 2026, District Collector Rizalino Jose “RJ” C. Torralba led a no-nonsense Awarding Ceremony honoring the men and women who drove the Port to yet another decisive victory — successfully hitting the February 2026 revenue target and cementing two straight months of collection triumphs for January and February.

This was not a routine ceremony. It was a recognition of a team that refused to blink under pressure.

TORRALBA’S COMMAND PRESENCE

At the center of the charge is Collector RJ Torralba, the man steering the country’s busiest customs port with relentless focus and operational discipline.

Under his watch, the Port of Manila has intensified enforcement, tightened collection monitoring, and pushed personnel to deliver results — not promises.

The outcome?

A revenue machine that continues to dominate the Bureau’s collection landscape.

Torralba made it clear during the ceremony: performance must be sustained, not celebrated prematurely.

THE OPERATIONAL ENFORCERS

Backing Torralba’s leadership are two key power players inside the Port’s command structure.

Deputy Collector for Operations Atty. Gerard Turiano — known among customs insiders as a hardline operator — continues to drive operational efficiency and strict compliance across cargo processing and enforcement activities.

Working alongside him is Deputy Collector for Assessment Florante Ricarte, the man overseeing the lifeblood of customs revenue: valuation, classification, and accurate tax computation.

Ricarte’s assessment teams have been instrumental in ensuring that every peso due to the government is properly accounted for.

Together, Torralba, Turiano, and Ricarte form a tight command triangle keeping the Port’s massive daily cargo flow moving while guarding revenue integrity.

SECTIONS 1–15: THE COLLECTION FRONTLINE

But the real battle happens on the ground.

The Port’s Assessment Sections 1 to 15 — the frontline units responsible for processing shipments and ensuring correct duties and taxes — delivered a performance that left little room for doubt.

Month after month, shipment after shipment, these sections powered through workloads and compliance challenges to help the Port hit its revenue targets for both January and February 2026.

Two months.

Two targets crushed.

And behind those numbers are customs examiners, appraisers, and assessment personnel who operate under constant scrutiny while handling some of the country’s largest commercial importations.

Their work is often invisible to the public — but without them, the government’s revenue pipeline would stall.

BEHIND THE SCENES POWER

The ceremony also recognized the POM Local Secretariat, which received Certificates of Appreciation for its critical role in hosting the BOC Collectors’ Conference held at the Port last February.

From logistics to coordination, the team ensured the major Bureau gathering ran without disruption — another example of the Port’s ability to execute beyond routine operations.

MANILA PORT: THE REVENUE FORTRESS

With cargo volumes surging and economic pressures mounting, the Port of Manila continues to carry a heavy responsibility: securing a major share of the government’s customs income.

And under the leadership of Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, the Bureau has been pushing ports nationwide to raise the bar.

At POM, Torralba and his command team appear more than ready for that challenge.

Because in Manila’s customs battlefield, the message is simple:

Targets aren’t suggestions.

They’re orders.

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