Manila: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has announced a new deadline for the delivery of approximately 130,000 abandoned "balikbayan" boxes to the families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). During a recent radio interview, Chris Noel Bendijo, deputy chief of staff of the Office of the Commissioner, stated that the deadline has been extended from January 6 to February 14.
According to Philippines News Agency, additional logistics companies have been engaged to assist the Bureau in ensuring that the delivery is completed by the newly set deadline. Bendijo mentioned that the commissioner, Ariel Nepomuceno, has instructed the team to explore more logistics partnerships to expedite the process, with the hope of completing deliveries before Valentine's Day.
The boxes, declared abandoned due to the non-payment of duties by the local partners of shipping firms, are currently being sorted and delivered. As of December 6, 2025, 144 container vans carrying the boxes have been distributed to five customs ports for further processing. The Manila International Container Port received the largest share with 88 container vans, followed by Cebu with 50, Subic with three, Davao with two, and the Port of Manila with one.
The Bureau of Customs has confirmed that these container vans have been moved to logistics warehouses from the ports. Bendijo acknowledged the complexity of the delivery process and appealed for patience from OFWs, emphasizing the challenges faced in the process.
