In a significant move to bring holiday cheer to families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has finally commenced the distribution of approximately 130,000 long-abandoned balikbayan boxes. This action follows a direct order from President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to ensure the gifts from abroad reach their intended recipients this Christmas season.
President's Directive Spurs Action
President Marcos Jr. announced earlier this week that the government would facilitate the release of the massive backlog of balikbayan boxes. Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno personally led the inspection and initiation of the distribution process at a BOC facility in the Port Area of Manila on Thursday, December 18, 2025. The President framed the government's absorption of all delivery costs as his Christmas gift to the nation's OFWs and their families.
Nepomuceno detailed the staggering scale of the problem, revealing that the boxes were stored within 144 cargo containers. He explained that each container could hold a minimum of 54,000 boxes, but with a mix of package sizes, the total ballooned to over 130,000. The shipments, largely originating from OFWs in the Middle East—specifically Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—had been languishing at the port for anywhere from eight months to two years.
Root of the Delay and Legal Repercussions
The BOC attributed the massive pile-up to the failure of private consolidators and de-consolidators to settle the required duties and taxes for the shipments. This negligence led to the cargo being officially declared abandoned. Commissioner Nepomuceno was emphatic that recipients will not pay a single centavo for the release of their boxes, as the state has covered all expenses.
However, the story does not end with the distribution. The BOC chief announced that the agency will pursue administrative and legal actions against the responsible de-consolidators after the Christmas holiday. He mentioned potential charges of large-scale estafa and indicated coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to build a case for alleged collusion or conspiracy.
A Symbolic Delivery for OFW Families
The government has vowed to exhaust all efforts to ensure the speedy nationwide distribution of these symbolic boxes. Balikbayan boxes are a cultural cornerstone for Filipino migrant workers, typically filled with goods like clothes, shoes, toiletries, and food items sent home to their loved ones. The resolution of this two-year backlog represents a tangible fulfillment of the government's promise to prioritize the welfare of OFWs, who are celebrated as modern-day heroes of the Philippines.
The initiative underscores a direct intervention from the highest level of government to cut through bureaucratic red tape and deliver a long-awaited gesture of love and connection from overseas Filipinos to their families just in time for the holidays.
