BUREAU of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno announced the completion of all abandoned balikbayan boxes at the Port of Davao with the delivery of the remaining 732 boxes to their rightful claimants.
In a statement last April 8, the agency noted that overall, 35,476 balikbayan boxes paid for by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) but who were unfortunately scammed by unscrupulous freight forwarders and deconsolidators have been delivered to their respective claimants all over the country, including the last batch from the Port of Davao.
To address the long-festering problem of abandoned balikbayan boxes, the Marcos administration launched a free, door-to-door delivery program initiated by Finance Secretary Frederick Go with the full support of President Marcos Jr., based on the recommendation of Commissioner Nepomuceno.
BOC record also showed that 70 remaining boxes at the Port of Manila (POM) have also been delivered including the 18,027 boxes abandoned at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) while delivery of 6,096 boxes remains ongoing.
At the Port of Cebu, the report reaching the Customs Chief said 13,948 boxes have been delivered while 392 are on transit to their respective owners. At the port of Subic, 2,699 boxes have been delivered while 99 boxes are ongoing delivery.
Meeting with some OFW families during his visit, Commissioner Nepomuceno said:
“Patuloy na pinalalakas ng BOC ang ating mga hakbang para maprotektahan ang ating mga kababayan.
“Nakikipag-ugnayan tayo sa iba’t ibang ahensya, gumagawa ng mga patakaran para hindi na maulit ang ganitong problema, at pinapalakas natin ang help desks at dialogue platforms para mas mapabilis ang serbisyo at agad matugunan ang concerns ng ating mga OFWs.”
He also reminded the OFW families that the free, door-to-door delivery program was made possible thru the full support of Secretary Go and President Marcos Jr.
Unrelenting drive versus smuggling nets ₱156.4 million illicit cigarettes
In a separate activity, Commissioner Nepomuceno and Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement Group (DCE) retired police general Nolasco Bathan, led in the inspection of confiscated smuggled cigarettes in the Davao region valued at ₱156.4 million.
District Collector Maita Acevedo said the seizures were the result of the series of anti-smuggling operations they carried out between January 6 and April 3 that targeted warehouses identified through verified intelligence reports.
During the operations, the District’s Enforcement and Security Service (ESS/Customs Police) and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) coordinated with the Philippine National Police (PNP) that led to the discovery of 182,821 reams of assorted cigarette brands, with a total estimated value of ₱156,436,273.28 without import permit.
The first operation yielded 124,150 reams valued at ₱106.23 million and involved identified respondents, while the second operation resulted in the seizure of 58,671 reams valued at ₱50.20 million.
In response, Commissioner Nepomuceno commended Acevedo and her team for their anti-smuggliog accomplishments and for addressing the concerns of the OFW families in her area of jurisdiction.