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The Bureau of Customs said its Port of Davao has completed the delivery of all 732 balikbayan boxes abandoned by unscrupulous freight forwarders
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Nationwide, 35,476 balikbayan boxes have been delivered across all ports
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Port of Manila: all 70 boxes delivered; MICP: 18,027 delivered, 6,096 still ongoing; Port of Cebu: 13,948 delivered, 392 in transit; Port of Subic: 2,699 delivered, 99 ongoing
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BOC reminds the public to transact only with legitimate, accredited consolidators and to remain vigilant against scams
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said its Port of Davao has completed the delivery of all 732 balikbayan boxes abandoned by unscrupulous freight forwarders.
The Davao distribution brings the nationwide tally to 35,476 balikbayan boxes delivered across all ports, BOC announced in a news release.
The Port of Manila has also fully cleared its 70-box inventory.
At the Manila International Container Port, 18,027 boxes have been distributed with 6,096 deliveries still underway. The Port of Cebu has turned over 13,948 boxes with 392 remaining in transit, while the Port of Subic has delivered 2,699 with 99 still in progress.
During a turnover activity in Davao, several overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) shared their experiences of prolonged delays and expressed gratitude upon finally receiving their packages.
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno announced the completion as part of a broader national operation set in motion by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and backed by Department of Finance secretary Frederick Go, aimed at recovering and redistributing packages abandoned by unscrupulous consolidators.
READ: BOC starts release of last batch of abandoned balikbayan boxes
The commissioner credited the Marcos administration and the finance secretary for making possible the cost-free, door-to-door delivery of the packages to OFWs and their families.
Nepomuceno singled out Port of Davao district collector Maita Acevedo for the port’s orderly coordination and swift action, which he said were instrumental in the successful completion of all deliveries in the district.
“BOC continues to strengthen our measures to protect our countrymen. We are coordinating with various agencies, crafting policies to prevent this problem from recurring, and reinforcing help desks and dialogue platforms to speed up services and promptly address the concerns of our overseas Filipino workers,” Nepomuceno said.
The agency also reminded the public to deal only with legitimate, accredited consolidators and to stay alert against scams targeting OFW remittances.
The BOC said it will press ahead with accelerating deliveries of remaining balikbayan boxes elsewhere in the country, while simultaneously tightening safeguards to prevent a recurrence of the problem.
