The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Manila (POM) facilitated the physical examination of the balikbayan boxes sent through Jenrich Fast Cargo but abandoned by Will Express, its deconsolidator here in the Philippines.

The physical examination of the said cargoes took place on November 2 to 4, 2021, at the ATI Warehouse 3 in South Harbor, before its release to their individual consignees. During the conduct of the said activity, the Customs Examiner assigned used a body-worn camera for recordation.

Also, for transparency, the activity was witnessed by representatives from Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), and Enforcement Security Service (ESS). Some of the claimants and their representatives were also in attendance to observe how the boxes are examined.

Prior to the examination of the balikbayan boxes, the POM formed a team who assisted in processing the lifting of the Decree of Abandonment issued against the shipments after submission of the required documents by the respective claimants.

On August 10, 2021, the stripping of the said shipments was conducted to verify if the boxes of the claimants were among those loaded in the containers. After the stripping, the POM team discovered that there were boxes included in the invoices but were not found inside the containers.

District Collector Michael Angelo Vargas assured that the boxes that were verified and among those loaded in the containers will be released to the respective claimants.

As part of the Bureau’s commitment to trade facilitation and social responsibility under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the Port of Manila remains committed to providing support and efficient service to its stakeholders.