TURNOVER OF BALIKBAYAN BOXES

[Lee]

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno leads the turnover of abandoned balikbayan boxes during a ceremony at the BOC headquarters in Manila on Dec. 18, 2025. The initiative follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s approval of funding to support the door-to-door delivery of abandoned balikbayan boxes of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), addressing cases involving errant freight forwarders. With the funds, the BOC is expediting processing, settling required fees, and coordinating deliveries so the boxes reach OFWs’ families before the end of the holiday season. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO

 

 

https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/12/18/photos/turnover-of-balikbayan-boxes/2246414

[Old55]

Lee, is this the entire story? The manila times is a pay to view.

Edited December 18, 2025 by Old55

[Lee]

31 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Lee, is this the entire story?

Yes, it is.

This was a pictorial slide story with the captions under every pic exactly the same so not very informative.

Did find another BB box story from the MT to augment my post.

 

130,000 balikbayan boxes from OFWs delivered free by BoC for Christmas

By William B. Depasupil

Dec 19, 2025 12:02 am

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) has started delivering "balikbayan" boxes sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to their families in the Philippines.Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno leads the turnover of abandoned balikbayan boxes during a ceremony at the BOC headquarters in Manila on Dec. 18, 2025. The initiative follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s approval of funding to support the door-to-door delivery of abandoned balikbayan boxes of ,

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said on Thursday the boxes were inside 144 container vans that have been left abandoned at the ports for years because of the failure of the shipment's deconsolidators to pay shipping and arrastre costs, which include handling, custody, security and delivery of the goods.

"On orders of President Marcos, the balikbayan boxes will be delivered to their indicated addresses free of charge. They don't have to pay anything, their delivery costs are already fully paid," Nepomuceno said. "OFWs no longer need to go to the BoC to pick up their boxes, as they will be delivered to their homes."

"Delivery starts today (Thursday) until everything has been delivered. I can't promise though that all 130,000 balikbayan boxes will be received on or before Christmas because this is a peak season," he added.

He said the delivery cost of the boxes amounting to P30 million was shouldered by the government.

The boxes were sent by OFWs from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, but were abandoned by forwarding companies because the consolidators abroad failed to pay the corresponding fees for arrastre.

Nepomuceno also rectified reports that the Customs bureau was to blame for the impounding of the boxes.

"We are blamed for the mistake of deconsolidators. Port operators, including the Philippine Ports Authority, will not allow the balikbayan boxes to leave their ports because they have not paid what is due," he said.

"We believe that this is intentional because this problem is recurring," he said.

 

https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/12/19/news/130000-balikbayan-boxes-from-ofws-delivered-free-by-boc-for-christmas/2246175/amp

Edited December 18, 2025 by Lee
added info

[graham59]

A kind gesture. 

[Gator]

1 hour ago, graham59 said:

A kind gesture. 

And voters will be reminded of it come election time! 

[Mike J]

26 minutes ago, Gator said:

And voters will be reminded of it come election time! 

I was thinking the same thing.

[Old55]

2 hours ago, Lee said:

Yes, it is.

This was a pictorial slide story with the captions under every pic exactly the same so not very informative.

Did find another BB box story from the MT to augment my post.

 

Thanks Lee! 

[Lee]

50 cargo containers of abandoned balikbayan boxes in Cebu; Valentine’s Day deadline set

MANILA – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has set a new deadline for the delivery of an estimated 130,000 abandoned balikbayan boxes to the families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWS).

These include 50 cargo containers full of these boxes at ports in Cebu.

In a radio interview on Tuesday, January 6, Chris Noel Bendijo, deputy chief of staff of the Office of the Commissioner (OCOM), said the deadline was moved from Jan. 6 to Feb. 14, 2026.

He added that additional logistics companies have been tapped to assist the bureau in completing the delivery by next month.

“Our commissioner, Ariel Nepomuceno, had already given instructions for us to explore or get additional logistics partners to speed up the process… But hopefully, we will finish it before Valentine’s Day,” Bendijo said.

Abandoned over the failure to pay duties

The packages were declared abandoned after the shipping firms’ local partners or “deconsolidators” failed to pay the correct duties.

As of Dec. 6, 2025, the 144 cargo containers with the abandoned balikbayan boxes have been distributed for sorting and delivery to five Customs ports, according to BOC data.

The Manila International Container Port received majority of the container vans at 88, followed by ports in Cebu at 50, Subic at three, Davao at two, and Port of Manila at one.

From the ports, the cargo containers were sent to logistics warehouses, the BOC said.

Bendijo admitted that that the delivery is a “tedious process” and asked for patience from OFWs and their families.

“Give us a little more time,” he said. “The process we went through was just difficult.” (PNA)

50 cargo containers of abandoned balikbayan boxes in Cebu; Valentine’s Day deadline set

[Mike J]

I can't help but wonder how many boxes have "wandered off" or been riffled over the years while sitting there?  

[Tommy T.]

Reminds me of a friend from many years ago. He sent us a package with smoked salmon that he made himself - it was always stellar! But we were in Mexico and it took weeks to reach us. By the time it did, you could smell it even unopened... ugh!