THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) have signed an agreement aimed at giving Filipinos abroad clearer customs guidance and a more direct channel for help with balikbayan boxes and other shipments.
Under the agreement, the BOC and CFO will work together to provide overseas Filipinos with accurate and updated information on customs rules, documentation, prohibited and restricted goods, and proper shipping procedures.
The agencies will jointly educate Filipinos abroad and will conduct information campaigns, share advisories, hold stakeholder engagements, and organize capacity-building activities to help overseas Filipinos avoid scams and mistakes when sending cargo home.
The agreement also creates a clearer referral system for shipment problems. Filipinos and their families dealing with missing, delayed, damaged, tampered or undelivered shipments will have a more defined pathway for seeking assistance from the appropriate government agency.
The two agencies will also establish a Joint Technical Working Group that will develop the implementing guidelines, coordination and referral mechanisms needed to put the agreement into operation.
The agreement was signed by BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno and CFO Chairman Dante Francis Ang II.
