Info campaign launched to ensure balikbayan boxes delivered

MANILA, Philippines — Amid continued complaints regarding abandoned balikbayan boxes, the government will conduct an extensive information campaign to ensure that gifts of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) would reach their families and loved ones.

Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla, Bureau of Customs (BOC) spokesman, said in an interview over Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon that the lack of information remains to be the primary reason for the abandoned balikbayan boxes.

Maronilla said the BOC, along with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), would do the campaign to “inform our kababayan on the process of balikbayan boxes.”

“The usual problem here are issues (related to) information, meaning not all of our kababayans are aware of the requirements in sending balikbayan boxes to the country,” he added.

Maronilla admitted that some OFWs, who wanted to save their hard-earned money, would hire the services of less expensive consolidators and de-consolidators – an option that, he said, should be coupled with a background check on the company’s reputation.

He advised OFWs intending to send items to their families via balikbayan boxes to exercise diligence in checking the reputation and track record of consolidators and de-consolidators they would hire to handle their packages.

“The BOC, DTI and NTC would conduct an information drive to educate the public on the criteria they should look for when hiring the services of a consolidator and de-consolidator, and not make choices based on which is the least expensive,” Maronilla said.

He explained that there are instances that people “would go to the consolidators that offer the cheapest rate, without the necessary reputation and track records.”

This, he added, runs the risk of having their balikbayan boxes categorized as abandoned, especially if the company they used are unable to properly process their packages.