Around 2,000 balikbayan boxes which were not sent to their recipients in previous holidays and remained at a warehouse in Bulacan will be delivered before Christmas, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Sunday.

“We are hoping and praying that like the Bureau of Customs previously announced, we will be able to deliver them before Christmas. More or less 2,000 balikbayan boxes are left here in Balagtas, Bulacan. And these balikbayan boxes will be delivered starting this week,” BOC spokesperson Arnaldo de la Torre, Jr. told dzBB.

De La Torre said consignees will be given the option to claim their balikbayan boxes or have them delivered to their house.

Consignees must send a message to the BOC Cares Facebook page to inform the agency of their intention.

People who decide to claim their boxes at the warehouse must present an authorization letter, a valid ID, and a copy of the passport of the person who sent the package, he added.

The balikbayan boxes will be delivered free of charge and there is no cut-off time for claiming them, De La Torre said.

Consignees who receive a damaged balikbayan box could also submit their complaints to BOC Cares with a photo of the box attached.

De La Torre said they are still gathering evidence and complaints from the consignees against the three cargo shipping companies or consolidators that abandoned the boxes at the BOC.

The BOC will be meeting with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to talk about the appropriate charges to be filed against the cargo shipping companies.

“This Monday, tomorrow, we will meet with our legal team to finalize the documents and to process the filing of the case,” De La Torre said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS