Fifteen overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Ilocos Region have received financial assistance from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) after falling victim to a balikbayan box scam.
Each OFW was granted PHP30,000 under the DMW’s Aksyon Fund, according to Assistant Director Romeo Jaramilla, officer-in-charge of DMW Region 1. In a phone interview, Jaramilla confirmed that the beneficiaries were verified through a list provided by the Bureau of Customs identifying individuals whose balikbayan boxes were reported missing.
“They are listed as those who have lost Balikbayan boxes based on the list provided by the Bureau of Customs,” he stated.
Jaramilla said the DMW reached out to the affected OFWs and guided them through the necessary steps to claim the aid. He added that three other OFWs with similar complaints have been referred to the DMW’s central office for further verification.
The agency is still tracing the whereabouts of the undelivered boxes as part of its ongoing investigation.
The Aksyon Fund is designed to provide critical support to distressed OFWs, covering needs such as repatriation, legal aid, and emergency assistance during employment-related crises.
