Thousands of balikbayan boxes that sat unclaimed at Philippine ports finally made it to OFW families this week, with Cebu hosting the last major distribution leg on Tuesday, March 24, at the Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu Gym.
Cebu Daily News reported that the activity was attended by Department of Finance Secretary Frederick Go and Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, who oversaw the handover alongside OFW representatives and their families.
Nationwide, 25,818 boxes had been distributed as of March 23, 2026. Cebu accounted for the largest share at 13,842, followed by the Manila International Container Port with 8,475, Subic with 2,699, Davao with 732, and the Port of Manila with 70. About 15,084 boxes are still pending release, with the bulk concentrated in MICP and Cebu.
The root of the problem traces back to foreign-based freight consolidators that lured OFWs with low shipping rates and door-to-door delivery promises, only to leave local partners without the funds to cover port, storage, and last-mile delivery fees — despite OFWs having already paid in full abroad.
Leslie Lim, CEO of L-98 Brokerage and Logistics, the accredited service provider handling Cebu deliveries, said more than 95 percent of boxes in the province have already been brought to recipients’ homes. Lim said fuel costs did not slow down the operation since government funding was in place.
“We made sure the packages were delivered door to door efficiently and safely,” Lim said, adding that recipients are called in advance before each delivery.
For families like that of Robert Imboc De Rosas, whose OFW wife sent a package that was supposed to arrive in January, the relief was palpable. De Rosas said they only learned the box was sitting at the BOC port after a customs personnel reached out to them.
“Salamat kaayo. Dako kaayo amoang kalipay (Thank you very much. We are very happy),” De Rosas said.
Secretary Go used the occasion to draw a firm line on accountability, saying the government will not allow OFWs to be cheated out of their remittances.
“Hindi natin hahayaan na maloko ang ating mga OFW. Sisiguraduhin ng gobyerno na protektado ang kanilang pinaghirapang padala,” Go said.
Commissioner Nepomuceno described the completion of deliveries in Manila and Davao as a milestone, and committed to clearing the remaining boxes in Cebu and MICP as a priority.
The BOC is now drafting a Customs Administrative Order that would require freight forwarders to post a ₱2 million bond as a condition for operating — a measure aimed at preventing a repeat of the mass abandonment that left OFW families waiting for months.
