MANILA, Philippines — Philippine authorities on Wednesday began the final phase of a massive effort to deliver thousands of abandoned “balikbayan” boxes to overseas workers and their families, a move aimed at resolving a long-standing logistics crisis that has left many migrant laborers’ care packages languishing in ports for months.
Finance Secretary Frederick Go and Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno led the ceremonial distribution at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) grounds in Manila, personally handing over packages to 28 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their relatives.
The event marks the start of the “final wave” of a government-funded clearing operation. This stage involves 72 shipping containers estimated to hold 24,536 boxes. While 14 containers have already been released from the Manila International Container Port, another 58 remain under processing pending final clearances and the waiver of port charges.
“This is about restoring trust and protecting our OFWs,” Nepomuceno said. “We are committed not only to completing the delivery of these abandoned boxes, but also to reforming systems, enforcing accountability, and ensuring that such abuses are not repeated.”
Balikbayan boxes—stuffed with clothes, canned goods, and household items—are a cultural touchstone for the millions of Filipinos working abroad, serving as a vital link to their families back home. However, many shipments fall into limbo when unscrupulous or insolvent third-party consolidators abandon the containers at ports, leaving the government to step in to cover the costs of the final “door-to-door” delivery.
The initiative, approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., aims to ensure that families receive the parcels without the additional fees typically required to release abandoned cargo.
“The president heard the pleas of the affected OFWs,” Go said. “This means that your loved ones will receive the parcels at no extra charge, straight to their homes.”
The first wave of the recovery effort began in late 2025, covering 68 containers. According to BOC data, of the 20,944 boxes identified in that initial phase, 14,305 have already been successfully delivered.
Beyond the logistics of the delivery, officials used Wednesday’s event to hold a dialogue with workers to explain how the bottlenecks occurred. The BOC said it is currently implementing reforms to improve transparency and streamline processing to prevent future shipments from being abandoned by private logistics partners.
Government personnel are currently overseeing the documentation and inspection of the remaining shipments to ensure they reach their rightful consignees across the archipelago.
