LOOK: Unreleased 'balikbayan' boxes at Manila port finally see light of day
Hard-earned "balikbayan" boxes from overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) were finally unloaded from an abandoned container van at the Port of Manila following requests from claimants to finally release their packages.

The balikbayan boxes were unloaded from an abandoned shipment that was consigned to Jenrich Fast Cargo.
According to the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the stripping activity or the unloading of goods from the container van was conducted last Aug. 10 at the Asian Terminals, Inc. (ATI) warehouse.
"The stripping activity is being done to verify if the boxes of the claimants are in the abandoned containers," the bureau said.
Through the activity, the BOC also intended to get other pieces of information that would complete the details from the invoices in the containers, specifically the addresses of the claimants.
It was disclosed that the claimants have been seeking the lifting of abandonment of shipment since February 2021. A team was also formed to assist the claimants in processing their packages.
Prior to the stripping activity, the Port of Manila with assistance from the BOC Public Information and Assistance Division organized a virtual conference to speak to the claimants and discuss the process and solutions in facilitating the immediate release and delivery of their respective balikbayan boxes.
Meanwhile, various books found from an abandoned shipment at the Port of Subic were recently donated to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
The shipment was forfeited in favor of the government after an implied abandonment was issued. This made the shipment subject to disposition under Section 1139 (A) and Section 1141 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
Abandoned goods subject to disposition may be donated to another government agency or declared for official use of the bureau.