Through the help of Senator Raffy Tulfo and his office, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) finally started distribution of balikbayan boxes of roughly 200 OFWs that were stuck in the warehouse for almost a year.
It can be recalled that Rowena Agtarap and Jennifer Yanong came to the Senate office of Tulfo seeking help regarding their unreleased balikbayan boxes last Sept. 12.
“We have been going back and forth to the BOC to solve the problem but to no avail that’s why we decided to seek the legislator’s assistance.”
According to them, they have been going back and forth to the BOC to solve the problem but to no avail, that’s why they decided to seek the legislator’s assistance.
That same day, the lawmaker contacted Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Buenvenido Rubio and asked him to help his staff assist the complainants.
The following day, the senator’s staff accompanied the complainants to BOC where they met with Michael Fermin, the acting Deputy Commissioner for IAG.
Fermin opened the container van to confirm that their luggages were still there. He promised to help process the documents for the speedy release of their boxes.
The distribution of 750 balikbayan boxes has started. More than 30 families have already received the luggage and it will continue.
Noted that the OFWs have already paid the overseas forwarders for the shipping of their luggage but the local consolidators have not been paid that’s why the balikbayan boxes have not been delivered.
“I ask OFWs to cooperate with us to help file charges again the consolidators who scammed them.”
As such, the BOC asked the OFWs to cooperate with them to help file charges against the consolidators who scammed them.
Meanwhile, the OFWs and their relatives thanked Tulfo, who is the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, for quickly acting on their concern.
