From 25 to 28 March 2025, the WCO facilitated a Leadership and Management Development (LMD) Workshop for the Top Executive Team of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) of the Philippines. The support took place as part of the Philippines’ multi-year strategic partnership with the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, funded by the United Kingdom, for effective implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

The Workshop brought together the BOC Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners for a high-impact, interactive leadership and management experience focused on strengthening alignment with the strategic objectives of the organization, building trust, and enhancing personal and organizational leadership skills.

Structured around three levels — organizational development, executive team collaboration, and personal growth — the Workshop created space for open dialogue, reflective learning, and critical self-inquiry. One of the key results was identifying the senior management team’s most pressing challenges, such as the need for better cross-functional coordination, clearer decision-making processes, and a shift from reactive to strategic leadership mindsets. These insights are pivotal to driving stronger impact and achieving the strategic objectives of the organization.

The BOC Executive Team engaged in experiential exercises that uncovered long-standing behavioral patterns and team dynamics, particularly around trust, accountability, and delegation. The group explored the balance between operational control and leadership empowerment, while fostering greater ownership and initiative at all levels of the BOC to more effectively manage Customs operations and drive reforms forward.

During the Workshop the executive team also zoomed in on key reform initiatives including the upcoming national Time Release Study (TRS), organized with support of the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, recognizing the TRS as an essential lever of modernization and strengthening institutional credibility.

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

For more information on the WCO Leadership and Management Development Programme, please contact Capacity.Building@wcoomd.org.