Manila: Filipinos abroad and their families will now have better access to information and assistance on balikbayan boxes and other shipment concerns under a new partnership between the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).
According to Philippines News Agency, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno and CFO Chairperson Secretary Dante Francis Ang II signed a memorandum of agreement on Tuesday. This agreement outlines the two agencies' joint efforts to help overseas Filipinos better understand customs rules and requirements when sending balikbayan boxes and other shipments to the Philippines.
The two agencies aim to strengthen efforts to educate the public on proper documentation, prohibited and restricted goods, and ways to avoid fraudulent shipping schemes. "Many overseas Filipinos regularly send balikbayan boxes to their families. Through this partnership, we want to ensure that they have access to reliable information on customs requirements, proper shipping practices, and available government assistance whenever concerns arise," Nepomuceno said.
The BOC will provide authoritative and updated guidance on balikbayan boxes, cargo-forwarding concerns, humanitarian donations, prohibited and restricted goods, documentation requirements, and other customs procedures. "For the CFO, it will help bring that information directly to our constituents through our official platforms, orientation programs, Community Education Program, Migration Talks, and our continuing engagement with Filipino communities overseas," Ang stated.
A key component of the partnership is the enhancement of coordination on concerns involving Balikbayan boxes, including shipments that are missing, delayed, damaged, tampered with, or not delivered. Through clearer referral procedures, Filipinos overseas and their families will have better access to information on the appropriate channels for assistance and guidance.
To help reach more Filipinos overseas, the BOC and CFO will conduct joint information campaigns, share customs advisories and updates, participate in stakeholder engagements, and conduct capacity-building initiatives on customs-related processes and concerns. A Joint Technical Working Group (TWG) will also be established to develop implementing guidelines, coordination procedures, referral mechanisms, and other measures necessary to carry out the objectives of the agreement.
"In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to bring government services closer to the people, we continue to strengthen our collaboration with various agencies to better serve our fellow citizens, wherever they may be," the BOC chief added. The partnership will further strengthen efforts to help overseas Filipinos make informed decisions when sending shipments to the Philippines by promoting awareness of customs regulations, responsible shipping practices, and available government services.
