The Bureau of Customs (BOC) conducted an inspection on Friday, 22 January, at the Manila International Container Port as part of ongoing government efforts to protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and ensure accountability in the handling of balikbayan shipments.

During the inspection, BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno announced the suspension of the privileges of the deconsolidators responsible for abandoning the shipments. These companies will no longer be allowed to transact business with the BOC, preventing them from handling balikbayan boxes in the future.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) joined the inspection, highlighting the BOC’s commitment to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the abandoned boxes. Information gathered during the process will support the filing of appropriate cases against the responsible companies.

The Department of Migrant Workers also attended the proceedings to witness the process and ensure that the abandoned boxes are properly handled and returned to their OFW beneficiaries.

Prior to this joint inspection, the BOC assisted affected OFWs in filing complaints with the NBI in December 2025 against the entities involved in abandoning the balikbayan boxes.

As of 23 January 2026, the BOC has released 66 containers, with deliveries still in progress. Upon completion of all necessary legal documents, the BOC can begin releasing the remaining 74 containers to logistics partners for sorting and subsequent delivery. To date, the BOC has successfully delivered 8,020 boxes to their rightful recipients.