Around 1,200 balikbayan boxes of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) stored for almost a year in a warehouse compound in Barangay Borol 1st, Balagtas, Bulacan were finally released to their families.
The said packages which were part of the 3,000 OFW balikbayan boxes stored at the Howard Warehouse compound scheduled to be delivered to the receivers within the year were released by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Oct. 22, 29, and Nov. 5.
The said OFW balikbayan boxes were at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for almost a year, and were auctioned and sold to FR Agbay Enterprise last Sept. 30, as signed by Dolores Domingo, officer-in-charge of the Auction Cargo Disposal Division of the BOC.
The copies of the order that holds the release of the boxes were distributed to most of the representatives and owners of the balikbayan boxes from different provinces in Luzon who swarmed to the said warehouse on Nov. 5.
The tension between the relatives of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and the representatives of the winning bidder were prevented by the timely call of former Bulacan District 1 Director Michael Fermin, the focal person of BOC.
Fermin advised Robert Uy, the representative of the winning bidder of the OFW Balikbayan boxes, and his group to proceed with releasing the balikbayan boxes.
The claimants from Ilocos, Bicol, Cagayan, Iloilo, Eastern Samar, Laguna, and other provinces thanked Fermin for his immediate action.
As directed by BOC Commissioner Yogi Felimon Ruiz, the 3,000 Balikbayan boxes stored at the FR Agbay Enterprises at the Howard Warehouse compound should be delivered to the consignees.
Packages addressed to receivers from the National Capital Region (NCR) must be delivered within one week; two weeks for those in Luzon; and four weeks for consignees from Visayas and Mindanao. The ordered delivery of all abandoned Balikbayan boxes to their rightful claimants by the BOC started on Oct. 21.
Fermin also announced there will be no more pick-up scheme for Balikbayan packages at the warehouse in the following weeks as the boxes will be delivered via door-to-door scheme.
He also requested a meeting with the group of the winning bidder on Monday, Nov. 7, to resolve the "misunderstandings" on the BoC order.
The recipients, meanwhile, were relieved they were able to claim the balikbayan boxes from their loved ones in time for the Christmas season.