The Bureau of Customs filed criminal charges against Makati Express Cargo Inc. for abandoning over 36,000 balikbayan boxes nationwide, including 16,431 boxes in Cebu, after the company failed to comply with regulations.
The Bureau of Customs ( BOC) has taken decisive legal action against Makati Express Cargo Inc. (Meci) by filing criminal complaints for abandoning 117 shipping containers filled with balikbayan boxes across the Philippines.
Among these, 50 containers carrying approximately 16,431 boxes arrived at the Port of Cebu but were left unclaimed and later deemed impliedly abandoned under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The total abandoned shipments nationwide amount to around 36,826 balikbayan boxes. Of these, 65 containers entered through the Manila International Container Port with about 19,671 boxes, and two containers arrived in Davao with around 724 boxes.
The abandoned shipments accumulated from 2024 to 2025 as Meci allegedly failed to process, claim, and facilitate the release of consolidated balikbayan box shipments. The BOC issued a final show cause order to Meci on October 21, 2025, directing the company to process the release of overstaying shipments and settle corresponding duties and taxes.
However, the company failed to comply, leading to the revocation of its registration on January 22, 2026. The BOC said the company repeatedly failed to lodge goods declarations and claim shipments within the prescribed period, resulting in overstaying and abandoned cargoes. The criminal complaints filed before the Department of Justice accuse Meci and its officers of violating provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, as well as customs regulations governing freight forwarders.
The BOC alleged that Meci misrepresented information in its registration records and failed to properly disclose foreign consolidators. Additionally, the company continued accepting new shipments despite previous abandoned cargoes and operational deficiencies. Investigators found that some of the company's registered business and warehouse addresses were no longer operational. The complaints highlight the plight of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families, who have been waiting for their balikbayan boxes that were never delivered.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno emphasized the agency's commitment to protecting OFWs and holding accountable entities that fail to fulfill their obligations. He stated that behind every balikbayan box is a family waiting for a piece of home from their loved ones abroad, and the BOC will pursue accountability to ensure those responsible for abandonment and non-delivery answer for their actions.
The BOC is coordinating with other government agencies to address the issue and continues delivering abandoned balikbayan boxes to rightful recipients. Cases of abandoned and undelivered balikbayan boxes have drawn attention in Cebu in recent months, with several OFWs and their families seeking government assistance to recover shipments left in ports for extended periods.
In March, the BOC and the Department of Finance began returning thousands of abandoned balikbayan boxes to recipients in Cebu after complaints that packages were never delivered despite payment. Authorities reported at least 8,475 abandoned boxes in Cebu had been accounted for, with hundreds more scheduled for delivery. The issue surfaced earlier after the BOC suspended Meci in October 2025 over alleged unpaid duties and taxes and reports of unclaimed containers in Cebu, Manila, and Davao.
In April, the DOF reported that more than 35,000 abandoned balikbayan boxes nationwide had already been delivered, including over 14,000 boxes through the Port of Cebu
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