THIRTY families in Cebu finally received their long-awaited balikbayan boxes as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Department of Finance (DOF) vowed to complete deliveries at the Port of Cebu by the end of the month.
This is part of a nationwide operation that has returned 25,818 abandoned boxes.
On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Finance Secretary Frederick Go and BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno led the ceremonial turnover of the abandoned boxes to intended beneficiaries at the Cebu Port Authority Sports Complex in the North Reclamation Area.
The distribution in Cebu marked the final stage of returning shipments abandoned by freight forwarders, with 13,842 boxes delivered locally.
Go said it is the government’s duty to protect the hard-earned packages of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“Patuloy ang Bureau of Customs at ang Department of Finance, kasama ang DMW, sa pagtulong para maibalik ang mga abandoned boxes sa mga pamilya. Hindi natin hahayaan na maloko ang ating mga OFW,” Go said.
Nepomuceno said that while the agency has completed deliveries at the Port of Manila and Port of Davao, it has pledged to prioritize the remaining boxes at Cebu ports until they are fully delivered.
Currently, 498 boxes in Cebu are still scheduled for distribution.
Go and Nepomuceno advised OFWs, their families, and the public to transact only with legitimate freight forwarding companies to avoid future delays or losses.
“If it is too good to be true, then it is not true,” Go said.
Nepomuceno said the BOC has posted on its website a list of accredited companies with proven track records, while warning the public against 11 firms identified as being involved in the alleged fraud.
The DOF and BOC said criminal complaints will be filed against the 11 firms in the coming weeks. The agencies will also go after freight forwarders based outside the country.
Go said this will serve as a warning to other freight forwarding companies to avoid similar fraudulent practices. (EHP)