25,000 balikbayan boxes turned over

THE Department of Finance (DoF) said that 25,818 balikbayan boxes were turned over to overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) families on Monday.

“The Bureau of Customs (BoC) and DoF, together with the Department of Migrant Workers, will continue to help return the abandoned boxes to their families,” said Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go in Filipino in a statement sent late on Tuesday.

He said that it is the government’s duty to ensure that the boxes reach their rightful owners and to hold anyone responsible for misconduct accountable.

BoC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said that the agency will prioritize the speedy delivery of the remaining balikbayan boxes.

According to the DoF, 13,842 boxes have already been released in Cebu, 8,475 at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), 2,699 in Subic, 732 in Davao, and 70 at the Port of Manila.

Meanwhile, a total of 15,084 boxes remain scheduled for release, which are from MICP and the Port of Cebu.

“The distribution today marked the final stage of delivering the remaining balikbayan boxes that have been abandoned at the Port of Cebu,” the DoF said.

Mr. Go and Mr. Nepomuceno led the distribution in Cebu, where the agencies returned the boxes to 30 OFWs and their families.

The Finance secretary advised the public “to remain vigilant and to only transact with legitimate box forwarding companies to prevent similar problems in the future.”

“The government vowed that it will continue its efforts until all remaining balikbayan boxes are successfully delivered to their rightful owners,” the Finance department said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile