Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced that it had taken steps to deliver all abandoned balikbayan boxes to their rightful owners. According to BOC data, around 8,000 unpaid and abandoned Balikbayan boxes went unclaimed for seven months. The delivery of balikbayan boxes would be free. "For the welfare of the OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) and their families, BOC allocated resources to deliver the boxes directly to recipients," the BOC said in a statement. According to Customs, all abandoned packages shipped by Island Kabayan Express Cargo LLC and Win Balikbayan Cargo LLC will be delivered within one to four weeks, depending on the recipient's location. Delivery to the National Capital Region is expected to take one to two weeks for Luzon and two to four weeks for Visayas and Mindanao. The BOC said claimants only need to present any government ID, a copy of the receipt, and an authorization letter if the boxes will be received by their representative. ALSO READ: OFW families flock to claim Balikbayan boxes stuck in Customs for almost a year BOC recently met with representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (DTI-FTEB) to discuss collaborative measures such as establishing a Balikbayan Box One-Stop-Shop and creating an inter-agency agreement between DTI, the Department of Migrant Workers, and Customs. BKM/ Expat Media ALSO READ: Balikbayan boxes from Middle East abandoned at Customs
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