Bernie Anabo Jr.
Leadership in the Bureau of Customs is not about sitting comfortably behind a desk, signing papers, and waiting for reports.
Leadership is showing up.
And that is exactly what BOC Collection District X District Collector Arnaldo M. Saulong demonstrated when he made his first official visit to the Sub-Port of Iligan on August 27.
This was not a courtesy call for the cameras.
It was a leadership statement.
Saulong went directly to the field—to the men and women tasked with collecting government revenues, facilitating legitimate trade, and standing on the frontline against smugglers.
And his message was unmistakable:
DO YOUR JOB. PROTECT THE BORDER. FIGHT SMUGGLING. SERVE THE PUBLIC.
SAULONG MEETS THE FRONTLINERS
The Sub-Port of Iligan, headed by Port Collector Nasrudin D. Guro, is no ordinary customs outpost.
Its jurisdiction covers Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, including Iligan City and Marawi City—a wide and strategically important area where customs enforcement, revenue collection and trade facilitation must operate with precision.
Saulong’s visit brought the District Collector closer to the people actually doing the work.
He personally recognized the contribution of the Sub-Port personnel to the overall revenue performance of Collection District X.
But recognition came with a challenge.
The job is far from finished.
Saulong called for continued commitment to border protection and a stronger offensive against all forms of smuggling.
That is precisely the kind of message that needs to be heard at every customs post.
Because smugglers do not care about organizational charts.
They look for weaknesses.
They exploit complacency.
They test the system.
And when customs personnel are alert, disciplined and united, the smugglers lose their advantage.
ISO-CERTIFIED — AND STILL MOVING FORWARD
The Sub-Port of Iligan has another distinction worth highlighting.
In 2022, it became the first ISO 9001:2015-certified sub-port in Mindanao and has since maintained its certification.
That is more than a plaque on the wall.
It represents a continuing commitment to quality, standardized procedures and professional customs service.
Standards must be defended every single day.
That is where Saulong’s field leadership becomes important.
A certification may prove that systems are in place.
Leadership proves that those systems are alive.
FROM REVENUE TO BORDER SECURITY
The Bureau of Customs carries a three-pronged mandate: revenue collection, trade facilitation and border protection.
Saulong’s visit to Iligan showed that these priorities must move together.
Revenue collection without enforcement is vulnerable.
Trade facilitation without safeguards can be exploited.
And border protection without efficient service can hurt legitimate business.
The answer?
Strong systems. Strong personnel. Strong leadership.
That is the challenge now facing Collection District X.
THE SAULONG MESSAGE
What stands out in Saulong’s Iligan visit is simple but powerful:
A District Collector must know the people, understand the ground situation and see the operation firsthand.
You cannot effectively lead a port from a distance.
You cannot understand frontline problems through paperwork alone.
And you certainly cannot win the war against smuggling by issuing memoranda from an office.
You have to be there.
Saulong was there.
He listened.
He recognized his people.
He reinforced the mission.
And he made it clear that border protection remains non-negotiable.
This is leadership that goes beyond rhetoric.
IAM ON THE GROUND
The visit also fits squarely into BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno’s Integrity, Accountability and Modernization (IAM) program.
Integrity means doing the right thing even when nobody is watching.
Accountability means owning the results.
Modernization means building systems that are faster, smarter and harder to manipulate.
But all three ultimately depend on people on the ground.
And that is why visits such as this matter.
Systems do not collect billions. People do.
Machines do not stop smugglers alone. People do.
Policies do not protect borders by themselves. Customs personnel do.
And those personnel need leaders who know how to lead from the front.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Collector Arnaldo Saulong’s first official visit to the Sub-Port of Iligan sends a message that should reverberate across Collection District X:
No complacency. No shortcuts. No surrender to smugglers.
The mission is clear.
Collect what is due to government.
Facilitate legitimate commerce.
Protect the country’s borders.
And stand behind the men and women who carry that responsibility every day.
In Iligan, Saulong did more than visit a sub-port.
He put leadership on the ground.
And in the Bureau of Customs, where every shipment can mean revenue and every weak link can become an opening for smuggling, that kind of leadership can make all the difference.
