NAPC: BoC balikbayan box policy ‘insensitive, thoughtless’

The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) slammed the proposed stricter regulations by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) regarding the inspection of balikbayan boxes as “insensitive” and “thoughtless” against overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, NAPC’s Formal and Labor and Migrant Workers Sector Representative Edwin Bustillos said that the proposed random spot checks on balikbayan boxes are “contrary to the welfare of the OFWs and their families.”

“BoC’s approach was arbitrarily initiated without any public hearing or consultations. Such random inspection is a form of harassment of Overseas Filipino Workers, an intrusion into their privacy and hard-earned income. Each gift or padala sent by the OFW to his loved ones has financial and emotional attachment and such random spot checks would also subject it to possible pilferage, either lost or stolen during inspection,” Bustillos said.

The NAPC official said that the proposed measures show the agency’s alleged incompetence in curbing smuggling.

“The Bureau of Custom’s regulation shows its thoughtlessness, insensitivity and unsympathetic nature to OFWs and their families. Likewise, such random inspection is also an admission of the agency’s miserable failure and incompetence to address smuggling,” he said.

Bustillos underscored that OFWs sustain the country’s economy and as such, it is only imperative for the government to support and thank them.

“The Philippine economy is kept afloat because of the taxes and remittances of our hardworking and productive OFWs; thus, we owe them a lot of gratitude and should be accorded privileges and support. To impose additional burden due to possible increase in freight or duty payments as well as further delay on the delivery of balikbayan boxes to their families only affirms the prevailing sentiment that OFWs are not among the acknowledged ‘bosses’ by the government,” the NAPC official added.

The random inspection and the proposed increased on taxes of balikbayan boxes have since been thumbed down by President Benigno Aquino III after OFWs took to social media their opposition on the proposed policies.

An online petition assailing the proposed policies of the BoC has gained 87,769 supporters and even pushed Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago to file a Senate resolution which calls for an inquiry on the issue. Aries Joseph Hegina/JE