BUREAU of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno announced that the BOC-Port of Davao has completed the delivery of all 732 balikbayan boxes abandoned at the port by unscrupulous freight forwarders, marking full completion of all boxes under its custody.
Nepomuceno met with the overseas Filipino workers and their families yesterday, April 8, 2026, at the BOC-Port of Davao in Sasa, Davao City, to announce the good news.
In an interview with local media, the BOC commissioner revealed that some abandoned balikbayan boxes were left for as long as three years, with the shortest period of abandonment being eight months.
He said that upon assuming office in July last year, he immediately ordered an inspection of the balikbayan boxes in September and discovered that some had been there for as long as three years.
“Supposedly, balikbayan boxes would arrive at the recipients’ houses within one or two months, kasi shini-ship pa yan (those are still being shipped),” he said.
The commissioner said the agency has already suspended the operations of the 11 deconsolidators or partner cargo handlers in the Philippines of consolidators abroad for their failure to act on and deliver the balikbayan boxes of the overseas Filipino workers to their recipients.
He added that the agency, with the help of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), is pursuing two cases against these deconsolidators, one for violating the CMTA (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act) and the other for large-scale estafa, a criminal case.
"Unang-una sinuspende na namin, pinirmahan ko na ang suspension (order) noong November (2025) pa. Di na makapagtransaksyon o makagawa ng negosyo sa Bureau of Customs yung mga labing-isang deconsolidators na nasa Pilipinas na mga kompanya," he said.
"At dalawa yung mga kasong pinapahabol ko dito sa mga nagkamali na 'to. Number one, yung kaso na nagkaroon nga violation sa CMTA or Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, yan kasi meron silang obligasyon na hindi nila tinupad so pinakasuhan ko na yun, at pinarating na na namin... ganito kasi yan, hindi naman kasi kami ang direktang magpa-file, so sinasampa namin yan sa pamamagitan ng Department of Justice kasama na rin po yung criminal case na dinulog namin sa NBI muna upang tulungan kami na magkaroon ng mas matibay na kaso na isasampa namin na criminal large-scale estafa," Nepomuceno added.
(First of all, we have already suspended them—I signed the suspension order as early as November 2025. The 11 deconsolidators operating in the Philippines can no longer conduct transactions or do business with the Bureau of Customs. I am also pursuing two cases against those who committed these violations. First is a case for violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), since they failed to fulfill their obligations, so we have already filed charges for that and elevated the matter. Here’s how it works: we do not directly file the cases ourselves; instead, we lodge them through the Department of Justice. This includes the criminal case we initially brought before the National Bureau of Investigation to help us build a stronger case—specifically, a criminal case for large-scale estafa.)
The list of the 11 delinquent deconsolidators, Nepomuceno said, can be found on the BOC's website.
Meanwhile, in an interview during the same event, Gerlyn Acedo-Ogong, OFW-Rise as One Association and OFW-Global Movement for Empowerment president, hailed the move of the BOC to deliver the abandoned balikbayan boxes, saying these are not merely pasalubongs of OFWs to their family left in the Philippines but a portion of their “blood and sweat”.
“Ang balikbayan boxes kay halangdon kaayo na sa mga OFWs kay dili na basta-basta mapuno, ginapaningkamotan pa na nila nga makatigom para makapalit og isulod ana para sa ilang mga mahal sa kinabuhi diri sa Pilipinsa. Maong hatagan gyud na dapat og pagtagad sa gobyerno bahin ani nga problema,” Ogong said.
(Balikbayan boxes are very important to OFWs because they are not easy to fill; they really work hard to save money to buy items to put inside them for their loved ones here in the Philippines. That is why the government should truly give proper attention to this problem.)
The BOC implemented door-to-door delivery of abandoned balikbayan boxes, ensuring that OFWs received their packages without any additional cost.
"Patuloy na pinalalakas ng BOC ang ating mga hakbang upang maprotektahan ang ating mga kababayan. Nakikipag-ugnayan tayo sa mga concerned agencies, bumubuo ng mga patakaran upang maiwasan ang pag-ulit ng ganitong mga insidente, at pinananatiling aktibo ang ating mga help desks at dialogue platforms with OFWs upang mas mapabilis ang serbisyo at agad na matugunan ang kanilang mga concerns," the Commissioner said.
He assured OFWs that the BOC remains fully committed to delivering timely, reliable, and people-centered service.
Nationwide, a total of 35,549 balikbayan boxes have been delivered.
Nepomuceno also recognized the Port of Davao, under District Collector Maita S. Acevedo, for completing all deliveries through effective coordination and timely implementation.
BOC also reminded the public to transact only with legitimate and accredited consolidators and to remain vigilant against fraudulent service providers.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is an agency under the Department of Finance that is tasked with collecting customs duties, taxes, and other fees on imported goods, enforcing customs laws, preventing smuggling, and facilitating international trade. CEA WITH PR