The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is considering the launch of an application that will allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to track their balikbayan boxes and avoid instances of anomalies. 

House members were informed of this development during the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs hearing on Monday, June 2, also the first session date in Congress after a three-month recess.

Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre chairs the particular House panel. During the committee hearing BOC lawyers bared the agency's automation plans as far as the shipment of balikbayan boxes are concerned. 

"One of the critical concerns for the BOC is to have what you call automation of the monitoring of the balikbayan boxes. So meaning to say, if you are an OFW, the moment you send your balikbayan box, you have already an application so that you will be monitoring your valid balikbayan box from the time you choose a consolidator, until it is released," BOC lawyer Marlon Broto said.

The BOC official says the problem right now is that OFWs have "no way of checking or monitoring" their balikbayan boxes.

"The OFW, being the owner of that balikbayan box, should have the right, of course, and the access to the box itself—where is it going, and whether it's already reached the Philippines," Broto said.

"So we are doing this as part of the marching order of our customs commissioner to digitalize our systems," he said, adding that the agency is already talking with possible service providers. He says they "will be doing due diligence if these systems are really applicable and practical".

While Broto says the proposal remains in the pipeline and is yet to be approved, part of the agency's plan is to have a "proactive response" on the matter.

Meanwhile, OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino reported during the hearing that the technical working group (TWG) has come up with a Joint Administrative Order (JAO) among various government agencies to implement reforms that would promote a "safer and more humanitarian process of shipping balikbayan boxes".

The JAO demanded agencies to come up with policies that will offer simpler and clearer tax exemption for balikbayan boxes that is worth up to P150,000; assign a "solidarity liability" for local deconsolidators and their for partners; apply escrow deposit requirement to ensure accountability of the providers; and strengthen information campaign to raise the awareness of OFWs about accredited and legitimate cargo forwarders.

According to Magsino, BOC is also making ad interim measures to expedite the process of sending balikbayan boxes for OFWs, including clearer documentation process, faster inspection process, and direct coordination with legitimate consolidators.

The BOC also provided the panel a list of good and bad consolidators, she added.