The Bureau of Customs has distributed 1,996 unpaid and abandoned balikbayan boxes to their intended recipients since July this year, a bureau official said Tuesday.

"Of the 1,996 balikbayan boxes, 1,667 were delivered while 329 boxes were picked up by consignees at designated warehouses," BoC spokesperson Arnaldo de la Torre said.

The delivered packages included 1,450 boxes consigned to CMG International Movers and Cargo Services.

The 30 remaining boxes remained undelivered because of incomplete information, lack of confirmation or no response received from the recipients and senders.

De la Torre said the BoC also processed 1,154 boxes consigned to Island Kabayan Express, 329 of which were picked up by recipients at the Portnet Logistics Warehouse in Sta. Ana, Manila.

Subsequently, the BoC endorsed the remaining 825 boxes to the Door-to-Door Consolidators Association of the Philippines for immediate delivery.

As of this writing, 217 parcels had been delivered, 310 were out for delivery, and 210 were for dispatch.

The 16 containers with 4,625 balikbayan boxes consigned to Win Balikbayan Cargo LLC were placed under the safekeeping of the Association of Bidders at the Bureau of Customs at Hobart Warehouse in Balagtas, Bulacan.

Several boxes were already distributed and picked up by consignees from that Bulacan warehouse.

Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said they will deliver the remaining unclaimed packages, particularly those bound for the Visayas and Mindanao.

"The BoC extended the claiming of boxes at the Hobart Warehouse for another two weeks upon the request of the consignees," Ruiz said.

Pick-up schedule shall be announced once ABBC completes the inventory of the balikbayan boxes today.

During the meeting between BoC and ABBC, the bureau proposed the creation of a joint team that will implement a system for the efficient and speedy release and delivery of the cargo boxes.

The BoC has warned Filipino workers abroad to be vigilant against dubious freight forwarders.