The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is working to deliver tens of thousands of balikbayan boxes sent by overseas Filipino workers that were left stranded at Philippine ports after several cargo companies abandoned the shipments without paying the required duties, taxes, and port charges.
In an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said over 42,000 balikbayan boxes from 11 cargo companies were found abandoned, with OFW senders having paid an average of $100—around ₱5,000—per box, amounting to a combined ₱330 million paid to the firms.
The bulk of the abandoned shipments—around 36,000 boxes packed in 117 forty-footer containers—are attributable to a single company, Makati Express Cargo, Inc. (MECI).
The BOC filed criminal complaints against MECI and several of its officers before the Department of Justice on May 29, charging the firm with violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act for repeatedly failing to process, claim, and facilitate the release of consolidated balikbayan box shipments that arrived at the Manila International Container Port, Port of Cebu, and Port of Davao from 2024 to 2025.
BOC records showed that 65 containers holding around 19,671 boxes passed through the MICP, 50 containers with approximately 16,431 boxes arrived at the Port of Cebu, and two containers carrying around 724 boxes came through the Port of Davao—all left unclaimed and subsequently declared impliedly abandoned in favor of the government.
The bureau had earlier issued a Final Show Cause Order in October 2025 directing MECI to immediately process the release of its overstaying shipments and settle all corresponding charges.
MECI allegedly failed to comply, prompting the BOC to revoke its registration in January 2026. Investigations further revealed that several of the company’s registered business and warehouse addresses had already been non-operational despite the continuation of shipment activities.
Nepomuceno said MECI had been redirecting OFW complaints to the BOC, with the firm’s website blaming delays on the bureau. He rejected this outright. “Walang kinalaman ang BOC diyan,” he said, explaining that the fault lay entirely with the cargo firms that failed to pay port charges, shipping costs, and fees owed to the Philippine Ports Authority before abandoning the containers.
To resolve the crisis, the BOC coordinated with port operators including ICTSI, ATI, and the PPA to waive charges on the abandoned boxes. The government then allocated ₱30 million to fund the delivery of the boxes to their intended recipients.
As of Nepomuceno’s interview on Saturday, over 39,000 of the 42,000 boxes have been delivered, with more than 3,000 still awaiting release. The commissioner was candid about the emotional weight of the issue.
“‘Yung mga OFWs natin, buwan o taon ang binibilang nila para mabuo ‘yung isang balikbayan box,” he said. “Hindi naman pasalubong lang ‘yan eh. Simbolo ‘yan ng kanilang pagmamalasakit sa mga pamilya nila sa Pilipinas, pinaghirapan ‘yan.”
Nepomuceno added that the BOC had no tolerance for the firms’ conduct, noting that affected OFWs had gone directly to the bureau for help after their boxes remained undelivered for months.
The bureau has blacklisted the firms involved and published the list on its website, urging OFWs to verify cargo companies before entrusting their shipments.
“Kung pwede lang wag na silang magtiwala dun sa mga fly-by-night na mga kumpanya,” Nepomuceno said, directing OFW senders to the BOC website for the list of blacklisted firms.
The BOC, together with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), is preparing to file additional charges of large-scale estafa against the responsible firms.
The bureau said it continues to coordinate with concerned government agencies to pursue all appropriate legal remedies and ensure the remaining boxes reach their rightful recipients.
