DMW, BOC Recover Nearly 3,000 Abandoned Balikbayan Boxes

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding nearly 3,000 abandoned balikbayan boxes that were recently turned over by the Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Port of Davao.

This development comes after the BOC formally handed over 12 40-foot containers carrying a total of 2,954 consolidated balikbayan boxes to the DMW on Thursday morning, May 29, 2025, at the Tefasco Port in Barangay Ilang, Tibungco, Davao City.

These boxes, originally intended for consignees in the Philippines, were abandoned by freight consolidators in their countries of origin.

According to a joint press release from DMW-Davao and BOC-Port of Davao, the release of the boxes will be done in stages due to the high volume and scattered locations of intended recipients.

DMW Assistant Secretary for Reintegration Services, Atty. Francis Ron C. de Guzman, told the media in an ambush interview that some of the boxes had been sitting at the port for nearly a year. Many of them arrived during the Christmas seasons of the past two years, shipped from various couriers and consolidators.

“Around 60 percent of these came from the Port of Kuwait, while others were shipped from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries,” de Guzman said.

He explained that some logistics companies failed to fulfill their obligations, despite overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) paying for cargo shipping and meeting necessary requirements.

“Unfortunately, prinomo… nung mga nasa ibang bansa, marami rito promo, hindi nila [company] ngayon nakaya ibayad, ‘yung consolidator and kumpanya doon, na ibayad ‘yung tamang value doon sa counterpart sa Pilipinas.”

(Unfortunately, many OFWs abroad were lured by promos. But now, the companies couldn’t pay the proper fees to their local counterparts in the Philippines.)

He added that some companies offered large discounts, which encouraged OFWs to send more boxes. However, this overwhelmed the logistics providers, leading to unfulfilled deliveries.

“Hindi napanindigan ng consolidator ngayon na ganon ‘yung payment scheme niya. Hindi ngayon sapat ‘yung ibinayad, ‘yung siningil niya para doon sa full declaration up until ‘yung door-to-door delivery sa Pilipinas.”

(The consolidators couldn’t uphold their promised payment scheme. The amount they collected wasn’t enough to cover the full customs declaration and door-to-door delivery in the Philippines.)

De Guzman stressed that under Customs law, all incoming cargo must be properly documented and value-added tax (VAT) must be paid.

“In the worst cases, the Philippine counterpart didn’t even know there was a container under a consignee’s name. When it arrives, it’s declared in their name, but the paperwork is incomplete and unpaid. That’s why it gets stuck at the port,” he said.

The DMW and BOC have filed cases against these logistics companies before the Department of Trade and Industry’s Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau.

“Na-scam sila [OFWs.] A regular delay is understandable, ma-delay ng ilang buwan is understandable, but for the boxes to be abandoned and hindi na ma-deliver, most definitely scam ang labas.”

(They were scammed. A few months’ delay is understandable, but for the boxes to be completely abandoned and undelivered — that’s clearly a scam.)

He said they are pursuing administrative and fraud-related cases. The DMW is also working with foreign counterparts to go after the consolidators in their respective countries.

De Guzman also shared that the delivery of boxes began as early as April this year. Families will not have to claim the packages themselves, as delivery will be free of charge.

However, some delays in the process were due to necessary inspections, including X-ray scanning, in coordination with security and enforcement agencies, particularly the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

So far, 20 boxes have already been claimed.

“Slowly, the logistics company will retrieve the containers, transport them to a warehouse, and then group them for delivery to OFW families,” de Guzman explained.

The DMW official said that, while the BOC, by law, has the prerogative to dispose of unclaimed or undistributed boxes, they acknowledged that it isn’t the OFW’s fault.

BOC-Port of Davao Deputy Collector for Operations, Atty. Giovanni Ferdinand A. Reyes, highlighted that this initiative is part of honoring the sacrifices of OFWs.

“These balikbayan boxes are a testament to our modern-day heroes. They carry not only goods but also the hopes, dreams, and unwavering love of parents, siblings, or children who work tirelessly in foreign lands,” Reyes said.

One affected OFW, Lorna Degracia from General Santos City who worked in Kuwait for two years, attended the turnover ceremony. She said she sent her box in November 2023, which arrived in the Philippines in February 2024, but was never delivered.

Degracia later learned the box was held at the port because the cargo company in Kuwait failed to pay the necessary taxes.

She found out about the BOC and DMW’s initiative through a group chat of OFWs whose balikbayan boxes were similarly abandoned.

With this development, Degracia is hopeful she’ll be reunited with her package.

“Sana maibalik na ‘yung box kasi pasukan na. Andon na mga sapatos ng anak ko.”

(I hope they return the box soon because the school year is about to start. My child’s shoes are in there.) RGL