Customs chief to OFWs: Your balikbayan boxes are safe

Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina on Monday assured overseas Filipino workers who are sending balikbayan boxes to the country that their packages will reach their relatives. 

 

"Sa ating mga kababayan, huwag kayong mag-alala. Ang kapakanan ng OFW ang isasapuso lalo na ng ating presidente at ng aking Secretary of Finance. DOF [Department of Finance] will make sure na what they send to our country are well-taken care of papunta doon sa kanilang relatives," he said in an interview on GMA News TV's "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho. 

 

On Monday evening, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima announced that President Benigno Aquino III decided to stop Customs inspections of balikbayan boxes.

Instead, all containers will undergo mandatory X-ray and K-9 examination. Customs will only conduct physical inspection on cases with derogatory findings. 

 

Days before, OFWs took to social media to criticize the Bureau of Customs' more stringent implementation of the balikbayan box inspections. 

 

"Huwag silang mag-alala. Walang mangyayari doon. Maayos na makakarating doon. Kung meron mang kaunting gusot noong una, naaayos na ngayon," Lina added. 

'Be honest'

 

Still, the Customs commissioner urged OFWs to avoid misdeclarations. 

 

"Iyon lang ang aking pakiusap ay dapat na maging honest sila sa pagpapadala ng mga shipment," he said. 

 

Lina previously explained that the random inspections were meant to address technical smuggling, or the misdeclaration of goods to avoid paying duties. He said that the government is losing P50 million a month in revenues because of smuggling through balikbayan boxes. 

 

He also added that Customs will not change any of its rules. — Trisha Macas/JDS/NB, GMA News