BOC, private forwarders begin delivery of abandoned balikbayan boxes

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has partnered with private logistics companies to deliver nearly 3,000 abandoned balikbayan boxes to the families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) across the country.

BOC Assistant Commissioner and spokesperson Vincent Philip Maronilla announced on Friday that the agency has coordinated with the Door-to-Door Consolidators Association of the Philippines (DDCAP) to ensure that the packages, turned over to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), reach their intended recipients without cost.

“We’ve worked closely with the DMW and DDCAP so that OFW families, especially those in far-flung provinces, won’t have to travel to the DMW warehouse. DDCAP will handle the door-to-door deliveries,” Maronilla said in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

The 2,954 boxes were originally shipped by OFWs but ended up abandoned due to negligence and fraud by certain freight forwarders. After a thorough inspection and with approval from the Department of Finance, the BOC declared the boxes forfeited and formally donated them to the DMW under a signed Deed of Donation.

Maronilla stressed that the BOC has waived all related fees to spare recipients from further financial burdens. “Our OFWs have already paid for the delivery of these boxes. They shouldn’t have to pay again because of the wrongdoings of others,” he emphasized.

He added that legal action has been taken against the erring forwarding companies involved in the mishandling of the shipments. The BOC is also working with lawmakers to craft a stronger legal framework to prevent similar incidents.

“We’re collaborating with Congress—specifically Rep. Jude Asidre, chairman of the Committee on Overseas Workers, and OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa del Mar—on legislation that will impose stricter penalties on those who exploit our OFWs through the abandonment of balikbayan boxes,” Maronilla said.

The BOC, through its Port of Davao, officially handed over the boxes to the DMW on Thursday for immediate distribution. Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting OFWs and ensuring that their hard-earned gifts make it home.