The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has launched an online tracking system that will enable Filipinos expecting to receive balikbayan boxes from their relatives and friends abroad to check on the status of their packages.
Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla said the tracker contains the list of all balikbayan box shipments lodged by local cargo forwarders with Customs, their countries of origin, ports of entry in the Philippines and their bills of lading with the number of the shipments. The BOC head also advised the public to go to the Bureau of Customs website (http://customs.gov.ph) and click the “Balikbayan Box Tracker” banner” to access the balikbayan box tracker
An estimated 5.5 million balikbayan boxes are sent to the Philippines each year. About 65 percent of the shipments are received at the Manila International Container Port while the rest are shipped through the Port of Manila, as well as Cebu, Davao and the Subic Freeport in Zambales.
