SOLONS WANT ACCOUNTABILITY ON MISSING BALIKBAYAN BOXES

LAWMAKERS call for accountability from cargo forwarders and policy change in the Bureau of Customs amid missing and mishandled balikbayan boxes of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The call was issued during the continuation of the hearing Tuesday of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs into fraudulent practices in the cargo forwarding industry, exposing the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) alleged collusion with unscrupulous international and local forwarders. 

OFW Party List Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino and COWA chairperson Jude Acidre led the investigation, demanding accountability for missing and mishandled  balikbayan boxes that represent the hard-earned sacrifices of millions of OFWs.

Testimonies from OFWs reveal disturbing patterns of delays, lost shipments, and outright extortion by cargo firms and their local deconsolidator partners.

Some victims report being charged excessive fees for boxes they had already paid for, while others find their shipments auctioned off by the BOC under questionable circumstances and even resold to the rightful owners.

Vilma Silba, a former OFW for 20 years, narrated that her baggage was paid in Kuwait to a deconsolidator for around P50,000 for a door to door delivery, but was asked to pay another P29,500 in the Philippines for the baggage to be released and delivered to her. Until now, she has yet to get her baggages.

Magsino raised serious concerns over the BOC’s handling of the packages, questioning why legally owned boxes are being declared “abandoned” and sold to private bidders.

Lawmakers press BOC officials for transparency, demanding a full accounting of auctioned balikbayan boxes, the identities of winning bidders, and whether affected OFWs have any recourse.

One major point of contention is the involvement of Monaliza Tan of Munique Rapid Trans, Inc., a firm reportedly profiting from auctioned balikbayan boxes.

Allegations of collusion between BOC personnel and private entities fuel suspicions that these auctions serve as a cover for systemic corruption.

The hearing also revealed that certain cargo forwarders and deconsolidators knowingly participate in fraudulent schemes, leaving OFWs with little to no recourse.

Lawmakers call for stricter regulations, including requiring cargo companies to provide delivery guarantees regardless of payment disputes, prohibiting additional fees from being charged to OFWs, and imposing heavy penalties on violators.