BOC ‘shoulders’ cost of abandoned ‘BBBs’

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC), under acting commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz, has decided to bear the cost of delivery and waived the required fees on abandoned ‘’BBBs’ (balikbayan boxes) to ensure their delivery to their rightful claimants and just in time for the holiday seasons.

At a press conference on Thursday, October 27, 2022, at the facilities of Portnet Logistics in Sta. Ana, Manila, where nearly 4,000 abandoned BBBs mostly sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are stored, Ruiz said he wanted these received by the families of the OFWs in time for the Christmas season.

He added boxes would be delivered free of charge to the families of the OFWs, or have them picked up by their authorized representatives in designated logistics centers.

“The BoC is coordinating with the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Trade and Industry-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau to stop similar unscrupulous activities in the future,” he added.

Some of the deconsolidators in the Philippines include CMG International Movers and Cargo Services (CMG, for brevity), FBV Forwarder and Logistics Inc., and Cargoflex Haulers Corp.

Their counterpart consolidators abroad, , all located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are Win Balikbayan Cargo LLC (All Win, for brevity) and Island Kabayan Express Cargo LLC.

While the boxes have bee shipped to the Philippines, no payment was made to local deconsolidators, resulting in the non-settlement of duties, taxes, and other charges due to the BoC.

To resolve the issue, the BoC finalized measures to immediately distribute abandoned boxes with the help of various groups and agencies.

It can be recalled that as soon as Ruiz assumed the top BOC post in July, he motored to Clark, Pampanga to attend to the problem of abandoned BBBs.

The BOC also announced on Thursday that all abandoned packages shipped by Island Kabayan Express Cargo LLC and Win Balikbayan Cargo LLC (All Win, for brevity) would be delivered within one to four weeks, depending on the location of the recipient.

The delivery would take one week for NCR, one to two weeks for Luzon, and two to four weeks for Visayas and Mindanao.

As part of its long-term solution, the BOC is pushing for policy measures to thwart similar balikbayan boxes schemes of unscrupulous consolidators abroad, in consultation with the DTI-FTEB.

Among these are the creation of a Balikbayan Box One-Stop-Shop and the drafting of an inter-agency agreement between the DTI, the Department of Migrant Workers, and the BOC to stop similar illicit activities.

Moreover, BOC recommended DTI-FTEB to review and amend the Philippine Shippers’ Bureau (PSB) – Administrative Order No. 06 series of 2005; reinstitute the accreditation of deconsolidators with BOC, and file appropriate cases against errant freight forwarders.

Based on the agreed protocols for release, recipients should present the original copy of the bill of lading or invoice or any proof of shipping, and two valid government-issued IDs.

Authorized representative may also claim on behalf of the recipient by presenting the original copy of the bill of lading or invoice or any proof of shipping, special power of attorney or notarized authority to claim from the owner/recipient, two valid government-issued IDs of the owner/recipient with three specimen signatures and representative’s government-issued ID.

Recipients may also contact the Manila International Container Port–Auction and Cargo Disposal Division through mobile number 0960-939-9870 or via email at boc.cares@customs.gov.ph.