Nearly 3,000 balikbayan boxes that were left unclaimed for years have finally been handed over to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), paving the way for long-overdue reunions with their intended recipients—the families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
In a ceremony held at the Port of Davao on Thursday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) officially turned over 2,954 balikbayan boxes to the DMW after securing clearance from the Department of Finance and signing a formal Deed of Donation.
According to the BOC, the boxes had been mishandled and abandoned by unreliable freight forwarders, leaving OFW families in limbo. “These are shipments sent with love and sacrifice, and it’s only right they finally reach their destination,” the agency stated.
To ensure the safe and timely delivery of the boxes, the DMW has partnered with a logistics provider. The BOC emphasized that this turnover was the result of close collaboration between the two agencies, which began efforts to resolve the issue earlier this year.
