Leadership and Management Development workshop organised for the Bureau of Customs of the Philippines

The WCO organised a Leadership and Management Development workshop for 18 senior managers of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Manila from 5th to 16th June 2023. The Workshop took place under the auspices of the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, funded by the United Kingdom's His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), as part of its multi-year Mercator partnership with the BOC for effective implementation of the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement.

The workshop was opened by Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, who thanked the WCO and the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme for their continued work. The Commissioner was accompanied by Atty Vincent Philip C. Maronilla, Assistant Commissioner, who shared his positive experience of the LMD Top Executive Retreat, and also Atty Vener S. Baquiran, Deputy Commissioner.

The objective of the ten-day workshop was to support the senior managers of BOC Philippines in strengthening their leadership and management skills and, ultimately, the leadership culture within the Administration.
The LMD is the second core component of the WCO LMD programme that supports senior managers in Customs Administration in developing modern leadership skills, attitudes and behaviours. The workshop was delivered on the philosophy of knowing yourself, managing yourself, really understanding others and positively impacting others.

Through a mix of presentations, dialogues, deep personal reflection and exercises, various concepts and theories of modern leadership and management were discussed. One of the biggest takeaways for the participants was that true leadership involved enabling and nurturing capacity and greatness throughout the organisation, thereby creating leaders at all levels. Participants especially enjoyed and benefited from the various exercises designed to increase mindfulness and self-awareness on the personal level and strengthen team building, people management and better negotiation on the organisational level. The importance of emotional intelligence was another important takeaway for the participants.

In an emotional and enthusiastic feedback session from all participants, one stated, "This event proved to be incredibly valuable in unexpected ways. While I anticipated gaining insight into global perspectives on management and leadership, the programme actually facilitated a much deeper introspective learning experience. It provided me with the opportunity to better understand myself, my colleagues, and the dynamics within my organisation. This personal growth and organisational insight have exceeded my expectations and undoubtedly contribute to my professional development and our organisations."
The workshop was closed by Michael C. Fermin, Acting Deputy Commissioner, on behalf of the management of BOC, who thanked the United Kingdom's HMRC, the WCO LMD facilitators from India and Ireland, and the WCO.

For more information on the WCO Leadership and Management Development Programme, please contact [email protected]

For more information on the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, please see here.