Finance Secretary Ralph Recto led an overhaul of customs regulations concerning “balikbayan” boxes, aiming to ensure the secure and timely delivery of these care packages from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to their families.
The move, formalized through the signing of a Joint Administrative Order (JAO), aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to support and honor OFWs for their significant contributions to national development.
“It is our duty to defend every peso our OFWs send home — including what’s inside their balikbayan boxes,” Recto said. “This JAO will allow us in the DOF to make sure that your shipments do not land in the hands of fraudulent consolidators.”
The JAO seeks to protect OFW rights by streamlining national policies on balikbayan boxes. It aims to prevent abuses by clearly identifying legitimate international freight forwarders and weeding out unscrupulous players.
