Unclaimed balikbayan boxes released

Local

ACCOMPANIED by their families, 30 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) finally received balikbayan boxes that had been abandoned for months at Philippine ports.

These 30 families are part of nearly 14,000 recipients in Cebu alone whose shipments are still in the process of being delivered.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Department of Finance (DOF) announced the update during a turnover ceremony at the Cebu Port Authority Gymnasium on Tuesday, March 24, highlighting the ongoing distribution of abandoned balikbayan boxes nationwide.

Based on provided data, as of Monday, March 23, 25,818 boxes have already reached OFW families, while 15,084 remain scheduled for delivery, mostly from the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and some from Cebu.

The initiative follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to speed up the release and delivery of shipments abandoned at major ports.

Many boxes sent by OFWs were left unclaimed due to consolidators allegedly failing to pay shipping, port, storage, and handling fees.

Finance Secretary Frederick Go stressed the government’s commitment to protecting OFWs’ hard-earned packages.

"Patuloy ang Bureau of Customs at ang Department of Finance, kasama ang DMW, sa pagtulong para maibalik ang mga abandoned boxes sa mga pamilya," he said in his speech.

"Hindi natin hahayaan na maloko ang ating mga OFW. Sisiguraduhin ng gobyerno na protektado ang kanilang pinaghirapang padala," he added.

Meanwhile, Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno described the completion of deliveries at the Manila and Davao ports as a major milestone.

He added that the BOC will continue prioritizing remaining shipments from MICP and the Port of Cebu.

According to the latest data, 13,842 boxes have been delivered in Cebu, 8,475 in MICP, 2,699 in Subic, 732 in Davao, and 70 at the Port of Manila.

Authorities said 15,084 boxes remain scheduled for delivery, mostly from MICP with 14,487 and a smaller number from Cebu with 498.

Leslie Lim, CEO of L98 Brokerage and Logistics, which assisted in delivering the abandoned boxes, said her team is committed to ensuring door-to-door delivery for all OFW families.

She added that, after previous failures by other logistics providers, her team is making sure that this time, the families will receive their boxes properly and on time.

Lim also said that her team will contact the families in advance to coordinate the deliveries and ensure someone is available to receive the boxes at their homes.

The balikbayan box problem arose from foreign-based freight consolidators offering unusually low shipping fees but failing to settle local charges.

As a result, thousands of shipments remained abandoned despite full payment by OFWs.

In response, the BOC launched humanitarian delivery operations in December 2025 covering 140 containers of abandoned shipments.

The agency also assisted OFWs in filing estafa and cybercrime complaints against abusive freight forwarders, including Makati Express.

To strengthen long-term safeguards, the BOC established the Balikbayan OFW Action Center and a dedicated help desk under the Customer Care Center.

An OFW Corner on the BOC website provides real-time shipment tracking, advisories, and assistance for affected families.

Stricter regulations are also in the works, including a proposed P2 million bond requirement for freight forwarders to ensure accountability and financial capacity.

Authorities advised OFWs to use only legitimate freight forwarding companies, secure official receipts, declare shipment contents accurately, and report fraud or neglect to government agencies.(MyTVCebu)