At Bureau of Customs, a Christmas rush of sorts

By: Tina G. Santos - 2 years ago

UNDELIVERED Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz inspects the growing number of “balikbayan” boxes at a warehouse in Sta. Ana, Manila, on Thursday, ordering their immediate delivery to their intended recipients. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Everything must go—in time for Christmas.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday ordered the immediate delivery of around 8,000 “abandoned” balikbayan boxes that had piled up in its warehouses since March.

In a statement on Thursday, the bureau said the packages—sent from abroad mainly by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)—had accumulated as a result of local freight forwarders (deconsolidators) not being paid by their counterparts (consolidators) in the countries where the boxes originated.

All abandoned packages shipped by two consolidators—Island Kabayan Express Cargo LLC and Win Balikbayan Cargo LLC—will be delivered within one to four weeks, depending on the location of the recipient, it said. The delivery may take one week for Metro Manila, one to two weeks for the rest of Luzon, and two to four weeks for Visayas and Mindanao.

Claimants only need to present a government ID, or a copy of the receipt or an authorization letter if boxes will be received by a representative, the bureau said. The BOC will not collect any fee for the delivery.

“For the welfare of the OFWs and their families, the BOC allocated resources to deliver the boxes directly to recipients,” the agency said.

19 containers

In a statement last week, Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz ordered the immediate release of the shipments—which had already filled up 19 freight containers—to the OFWs’ families in time for the Christmas season.

The BOC specifically cited the packages sent from the United Arab Emirates. It said three Philippine deconsolidators—CMG International Movers and Cargo Services, FBV Forwarder and Logistics Inc., and Cargoflex Haulers Corp.—had not been paid by two consolidators operating in that country, namely Island Kabayan and Win Balikbayan.

“The consolidators agreed to deliver the packages to the consignees’ addresses in the Philippines. However, no payment was made to local deconsolidators, resulting in the nonsettlement of duties, taxes and other charges due to the BOC,” the bureau said.

Due diligence

The bureau reminded OFWs to exercise due diligence and verify the legitimacy of consolidators and deconsolidators to whom they entrust their balikbayan boxes. It said measures were being drawn up to thwart schemes that result in the nondelivery of packages.

The BOC recently met with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (DTI-FTEB) to discuss the problem. Among the steps considered were the setup of a balikbayan box one-stop-shop and more interagency collaboration against such illicit activities.

The customs bureau also proposed that DTI-FTEB amend Administrative Order No. 06 (series of 2005) of the Philippine Shippers’ Bureau, which deals with the rules on freight forwarding; review the accreditation of deconsolidators with the BOC; and file appropriate cases against erring freight forwarders.