Thousands of abandoned balikbayan boxes on the way to rightful owners

From chocolates to perfumes, to gifts and other personal effects, thousands of abandoned balikbayan boxes will finally find their way home.

The Bureau of Customs said Friday over 100 containers loaded with balikbayan boxes have been abandoned by consolidators. 

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said some of these boxes have been at the port for up to three years and counting. 

"Karamihan dito either eight months ago pa ito dapat na-release more than one year, at meron pang more than two years," Nepomuceno said.

(Most these have been here for eight months to more than a year. Some even more than two years.These should already be released.)

The Customs chief said the government hopes to deliver these boxes to their intended recipients as soon as possible. 

"Hopefully within 60 days, kaya lang di rin natin sigurado 'yung bilis ng ating mga forwarders. Subalit 'di naman peak season na hindi na Pasko baka mapadali pa. Ang importante ma release natin in the next few days 'yung mga containers," Nepomuceno said.

(Hopefully within 60 days, although we cannot say for sure how fast the forwarders will be able to deliver. However, it's no longer peak season, it's no longer Christmas time, so the delivery might be faster. What's important is that the containers are released in a few days.)

Of over 140 containers, 33 containers have already been released to forwarders. The BOC is already working with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for the release of over 70 more containers to forwarders. 

"'Wag po kayo mag-alala parating na po sa inyong mga mahal sa buhay 'yung inyong mga boxes," Nepomuceno said. 

(Don't worry, your balikbayan boxes are on the way to your loved ones.)

Last December, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said some balikbayan boxes that were left unattended for months would be returned to their rightful owners before Christmas.

The BOC later launched an online tracking portal for its door-to-door balikbayan box deliveries, aiming to clear the backlog of packages sent over the years by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to their families in the Philippines.

In its advisory, the BOC urged the public to access https://customs.gov.ph/home/overseas-filipino-worker-ofw/, adding that the site is continuously updated with each door-to-door rollout.

Meanwhile, Nepomuceno said the bureau is determined to go after deconsolidators responsible for abandoned shipments.

"Ang gusto na rin dito, [mga kasong] large-scale estafa pero 'yan marami nagsama-sama upang makuha lang bayad ng kababayan at 'di talaga nila dadalhin. Kita niyo naman abandoned 'yan. 'Yung obligation 'di nila ginawa. Hahanapan natin ng ibang violations 'yan sa batas upang sila ay mapanagot. Mayroon 'yan penalties ay mayroon 'yan pagkakakulong," Nepomuceno said.

(We want large-scale estafa cases filed against these companies. Many of them band together just to collect payments from our countrymen and they don't really deliver the boxes. As you can see, these boxes are abandoned. They didn't do their obligation. We will check their other violations under the law so that they will be accountable. There are penalties, there is also jail time.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News