THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) is seeking to require balikbayan box forwarders and deconsolidators to secure accreditation and post a minimum of P2-million bond to protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from missing, delayed or undelivered shipments.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno on Thursday announced the proposed safeguards during a dialogue with OFWs and their representatives in Iloilo, where he discussed recurring problems involving balikbayan box shipments and the responsibilities of freight forwarders and deconsolidators.
Nepomuceno said the Customs bureau will continue strengthening programs to address OFW complaints and ensure that shipping companies fulfill their obligations.
“The concerns of our OFWs are important, and must be heard and acted upon,” he said, stressing the agency’s commitment to protecting their welfare and delivering better public service.
The proposed accreditation and bond requirements are part of efforts to strengthen accountability in the balikbayan box industry, particularly among companies responsible for processing and releasing consolidated shipments.
Nepomuceno also urged OFWs to choose legitimate freight forwarders and use the bureau’s OFW Help Desk, the “Isumbong Kay Commissioner” website and the agency’s Duty and Tax Calculator for assistance and guidance.
The latest initiative builds on the BOC’s partnership with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) to improve assistance for affected families.
The CFO signed a memorandum of agreement with the bureau on Sept. 8 to strengthen information campaigns and assistance for Filipinos abroad.
The agreement was signed by Nepomuceno and CFO Chairman Secretary Dante Ang II.
Ang said Customs can provide authoritative guidance on balikbayan boxes, cargo forwarding, humanitarian donations, prohibited and restricted goods, and other customs procedures, while the CFO can bring the information directly to Filipino communities overseas.
The agreement seeks to improve public awareness of customs rules, documentation requirements and fraudulent shipping schemes, while establishing clearer coordination and referral procedures for complaints involving missing, delayed, damaged, tampered with or undelivered balikbayan boxes.
Under the partnership, the two agencies will conduct joint information activities and coordinate through a technical working group to improve assistance for affected OFWs and their families.
The agreement is significant because balikbayan box complaints often involve several parties, including overseas consolidators, Philippine-based freight forwarders, shipping companies and local deconsolidators.
Better coordination between government agencies can help affected senders identify the appropriate channels for filing complaints and pursuing remedies.
The BOC has also taken enforcement action against companies accused of failing to deliver balikbayan shipments.
Last January, the bureau revoked the registration of Makati Express Cargo Inc. following repeated failures to process and claim shipments within the prescribed period.
In May, it filed complaints against the company and several of its officers over the abandonment of approximately 36,826 balikbayan boxes stored in 117 shipping containers at the Manila International Container Port, and the ports of Cebu and Davao.
The bureau facilitated the release of abandoned boxes to their intended recipients and assisted affected OFWs in pursuing complaints.
These cases underscore the difficulties faced by migrant workers whose packages contain gifts, clothing, food and other personal necessities purchased with money earned overseas.
With the proposed accreditation and P2-million bond requirement, along with its partnership with the CFO, the bureau aims to strengthen accountability in the balikbayan box industry and improve assistance for OFWs whose shipments fail to reach their families.
Customs said continued cooperation with local governments and OFW associations would be crucial in promoting transparency, responsible shipping practices and better protection for Filipino migrant workers.
The proposed safeguards, however, should not be confused with an existing compensation guarantee. The bureau has yet to confirm in the announcement when the accreditation and bond requirements will take effect and how claims against the bond would be processed.
