DTI warns public against blacklisted forwarders

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued a list of unaccredited freight forwarders and consolidators and advised the public, particularly the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their consignees not to transact with the said companies due to reported complaints of undelivered balikbayan boxes.

Senders may verify the company name of Philippine sea freight forwarder counterpart at www.dti.gov.ph, or they may visit the Philippine Consulate offices abroad.

Lawyer Victorio Mario Dimagiba, director-in-charge of Philippine Shippers Bureau (PSB), said OFWs who will send their Balikbayan boxes and their consignees in the Philippines should book their packages only with reliable and PSB-accredited freight forwarders and Philippine agents to ensure that their packages will reach its destination.

Foreign principals and cargo consolidators abroad usually have Philippine counterparts accredited by the PSB if it is a sea cargo forwarder and Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Phils. (CAAP) if it is an air cargo forwarder.

Dimagiba also told senders to be aware of very low door-to-door rates offered by foreign principals. “With low rates, they (foreign principals) do not have enough funds to bear the cost of transporting cargoes, and they fail to remit delivery funds to their Philippines freight forwarders, causing the shipments to be abandoned at the ports and not being delivered to consignees,” said Dimagiba.

To avoid being a victim of unscrupulous cargo forwarders, the public is advised to regularly monitor advisories and alerts from DTI-PSB, and refer to the blacklist of unaccredited freight forwarders available at offices of Overseas Worker Welfare Administration, Bureau of Customs, DTI regional offices in the Philippines.

For  senders abroad, they may visit Philippine embassies and consulates, Philippine Trade and Investments Centers (PTICs), consumer agencies of foreign government and freight forwarders regulating agencies of foreign government.