MANILA — Some 20 container vans of abandoned balikbayan boxes of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are set to be processed this week, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced.

In a social media post, the BOC said a total of 21 container vans are scheduled to be pulled out and processed for delivery to families of OFWs nationwide. At present, 15 containers have already been released.

The agency clarified that the prolonged delay in delivery was caused by certain deconsolidators and freight forwarders failing to fulfill their obligations, despite having already collected payment from OFWs abroad. Bureau officials accompanied the OFWs in filing cases against these companies with the National Bureau of Investigation on Dec. 4.

The BOC reminded Filipinos overseas to be cautious when choosing freight forwarders, to ensure the companies are legitimate, and to avoid offers with unrealistically low fees that may lead to fraud.

Earlier, the agency launched an online tracking portal for the door-to-door delivery of balikbayan boxes nationwide. The public has been advised to access https://customs.gov.ph/home/overseas-filipino-worker-ofw/ to check the status of their shipments.

All deliveries are free of charge. Door-to-door delivery started on Dec. 18 and is targeted to be completed by early January 2026.

The release and delivery of the abandoned balikbayan boxes are being carried out with the support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who has expressed full backing for the government’s efforts to assist OFWs affected by fraudulent and irresponsible freight forwarding companies.