MANILA — The Bureau of Customs declared Friday that it has eliminated its backlog of abandoned balikbayan boxes after delivering them to their rightful owners
“Maibabalita po natin ‘no, sa ngayon ay zero backlog na po tayo pagdating sa mga balikbayan boxes na aming dinatnan dito. So, wala na po tayong mga balikbayan boxes na hindi pa po nadi-deliver sa ating mga OFWs,” BOC Deputy Chief of Staff Atty. Chris Noel Bendijo told state-run media PTV on Friday, October 2.
Last May, the bureau filed a criminal complaint before the Department of Justice against cargo firm Makati Express Cargo, Inc. (MECI) for allegedly abandoning 36,826 balikbayan boxes.
Bendijo hopes to improve assistance to OFWs regarding their balikbayan boxes with the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas last month.
“Ito naman pong ating mga agreement na ganito ay looking forward ‘no, sana po ay wala na pong maulit na ganoon na naaabusong mga OFWs,” he said.
“Sana po lahat ng kanilang mga sakripisyo, lahat ng kanilang mga balikbayan boxes ay makakarating nang maayos at mabilis sa kanilang pamilya dito sa ating bansa,” the BOC official added.