ABANDONED BALIKBAYAN BOXES TO REACH CONSIGNEES BY DECEMBER

The FR Agbay Enterprises assured claimants the abandoned OFW balikbayan boxes will be received by December. Robert Uy, president of FR Agbay Enterprises and representative of the Association of Bidders of the Bureau of Customs, said the distribution of balikbayan boxes for consignees continues for those who prefer to pick up their parcels at a warehouse in Bulacan. Uy said that it has been settled with the Bureau of Customs (BoC) that the distribution will either be “for pick-up” or be sent door-to-door to the consignees. The balikbayan boxes will be brought to the provinces to the BoC offices near port areas. “Don’t worry because the packages will reach them before Christmas,” said Uy. Last week, the release of the balikbayan boxes was stalled, but it has been resolved with the boxes now being processed for release beginning on November 12 at Howard Warehouse Compound in Barangay Borol 1 in Balagtas, Bulacan. BoC spokesman Arnold de la Torre, OIC chief of Auction Division Dolores Domingo, and some BoC police security arrived here to observe and assist in the activity. A total of 1,373 balikbayan boxes were obtained and distributed by FR Agbay Enterprises to the rightful owners from the auctioned 17 containers containing 3,500 balikbayan boxes. The OFW balikbayan boxes were from Abu Dhabi and were declared abandoned goods/shipments by the BoC after 7 months of unclaimed status.