BOC assists OFWs in suing delinquent freight forwarder

On May 4, 2026

Families of OFWs being advised by a prosecutor from the Department of Justice in relation to their complaint against Makati Cargo Express, with assistance from Director Venus E. Apas, head of the BOC Balikbayan and Overseas Filipino Workers Action Center, (photo: BOC-PIAD).

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) under the leadership of Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno and the guidance of Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Frederick Go, continues to assist overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in seeking legal redress from a Cavite-based freight forwarder earlier flagged by the agency for abandoning the balikbayan boxes paid for from the hard earned money of OFWs for delivery to their families.

In a statement, the BOC said it accompanied some 19 representatives of OFW families in filing criminal cases against ‘Makati Express Cargo, Inc.’ (MECI) before the Fraud and Financial Crimes Division of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for large-scale estafa through cyber,

Thru the guidance of Secretary Go, Commissioner Nepomuceno in January this year signed an agreement with the NBI and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for joint efforts in going after erring freight forwarders and deconsolidators (Pinoy Exposé, January 25, 2026).

Some of the balikbayan boxes abandoned by Makati Express Cargo at MICP that were finally released to their rightful owners (photo: BOC-PIAD).

An NBI investigation had already disclosed that Makati Express Cargo no longer has a functioning office over the last two years.

The firm’s last address as reported by this paper based on information provided by the BOC was in Bgy. Pasong Camachile 2, General Trias, Cavite (Pinoy Exposé, November 2, 2025).

In a related development, the BOC also facilitated the release to their rightful claimants the balikbayan boxes left abandoned by MECI at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

The activity was supervised by Director Venus E. Apas, head of the BOC Balikbayan and Overseas Filipino Workers Action Center, ensuring that the recovered shipments were properly identified and released to their rightful recipients.

Apas is also instrumental in suing MECI before the DOJ.

The initiative forms part of the BOC’s continuing efforts to support OFWs who were victimized by unscrupulous freight forwarders. By facilitating the recovery and distribution of these abandoned packages, the Bureau helps ease the burden on affected OFWs and their families.