The Department of Trade and Industry’s Fair
Trade Enforcement Bureau (DTI-FTEB) warned the public against the 43
unreputable freight forwarders, which were the subject of complaints from
shippers and consignees for non-delivery of Balikbayan boxes.
“In its latest advisory, DTI-FTEB listed these erring foreign and local sea freight forwarders to prevent consumers in patronizing their services. The advisory also cited the 54 foreign freight forwarders/consolidators from Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and USA that have pending complaints pertaining to Balikbayan boxes,” DTI-Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba said.
The FTEB, a DTI-CPG line bureau, regularly posts its advisory of erring foreign and local sea freight forwarders for non-delivery of Balikbayan boxes in the DTI website. The non-delivery of Balikbayan boxes usually occurs when foreign consolidators/ principal sea freight forwarders do not remit a portion of their collected charges to their accredited Philippine agents/ local sea freight forwarders to prompt the release and delivery of balikbayan boxes.
“When necessary funds are not remitted to accredited Philippine agent/ local freight forwarders, the shipment or the balikbayan boxes with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will not be released and will not be delivered to consignees/ recipients. Unfortunately,the DTI-FTEB records show that some incidents of undelivered balikbayan boxes involved freight forwarding companies with accreditation.
“In its latest advisory, DTI-FTEB listed these erring foreign and local sea freight forwarders to prevent consumers in patronizing their services. The advisory also cited the 54 foreign freight forwarders/consolidators from Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and USA that have pending complaints pertaining to Balikbayan boxes,” DTI-Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba said.
The FTEB, a DTI-CPG line bureau, regularly posts its advisory of erring foreign and local sea freight forwarders for non-delivery of Balikbayan boxes in the DTI website. The non-delivery of Balikbayan boxes usually occurs when foreign consolidators/ principal sea freight forwarders do not remit a portion of their collected charges to their accredited Philippine agents/ local sea freight forwarders to prompt the release and delivery of balikbayan boxes.
“When necessary funds are not remitted to accredited Philippine agent/ local freight forwarders, the shipment or the balikbayan boxes with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will not be released and will not be delivered to consignees/ recipients. Unfortunately,the DTI-FTEB records show that some incidents of undelivered balikbayan boxes involved freight forwarding companies with accreditation.
As of 09 January 2015, the DTI-FTEB has issued the accreditation certificate to 664 sea freight forwarders, of which 57 are also engaged in handling Balikbayan box shipments. Undersecretary Dimagiba stressed, “The accreditation scheme helps professionalize the freight forwarding industry and the DTI will continue to strictly implement its criteria to weed out those companies that are not qualified to engage in this business."
The DTI enjoins the public to regularly check the following websites for guidance on which sea freight forwarders they can transact with and be assured in sending their Balikbayan boxes:
List of accredited door-to-door sea freight forwarders and DTI-FTEB Advisory Bureau of Customs Balikbayan Box Tracker. (DTI)
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