100% inspection for shipped boxes

MANILA, Philippines - Instead of a random physical inspection of balikbayan boxes, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will use X-ray machines to thoroughly examine all shipping containers filled with balikbayan boxes.

It would not cause port congestion or delay the release of balikbayan boxes, Commissioner Alberto Lina assured the public yesterday.

“The bureau will follow the President’s directive on balikbayan boxes effective immediately,” he said. “Instead of random physical inspections, we will do a mandatory X-ray examination of containers of consolidated shipments and balikbayan boxes at no cost to the sender or OFW, and ensure the necessary checks, balances and witnesses are present in the event that a physical inspection is made,” he said.

Some might perceive that a thorough examination of container vans with the use of only 11 X-ray machines might take longer than a spot check of two percent of balikbayan boxes, Lina said.

“This would not lead to long queues of balikbayan boxes that would need to go through our X-ray machines,” he said.

“Apart from our plan to put additional X-ray machines, we could schedule the X-ray scan of the container vans to 40 containers a day per X-ray machine.”

Each 40-foot container van carries about 400 balikbayan boxes, and about 1,000 container vans of balikbayan boxes arrive every month.

When the Christmas season starts, the volume is expected to double or triple.

The change in procedure in handling balikbayan boxes would mean more work for the BOC, Lina said.

Despite the inspection of balikbayan boxes, the BOC would still be able to check agricultural, rice and other types of arriving cargo, he added.

They are encouraging senders of balikbayan boxes to make a detailed list of their contents and send   them to the BOC in advance via electronic mail so they could examine the documents and “pre-clear” the shipment, Lina said.

“What will happen here is that they really have to do what they are supposed to do, the shippers and the freight forwarders, they have to do their job now,” he said.

“This means they would have to itemize (the contents of the package) and put the invoice and the value of each item.”

The BOC is asking other government agencies like the Armed Forces  and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to lend them drug and explosives-trained dogs to sniff out contraband from the shipment, Lina said.

Another option is to lease the services of canines, he added.

The BOC will also ask freight forwarders to install X-ray machines in their warehouses following the BOC specifications to speed up clearance of    balikbayan boxes, Lina said.

They are also looking into acquiring more close circuit television (CCTV) cameras to be installed at the ports, he added.

The public must be vigilant and report erring Customs employees to the BOC, Lina said.

“We enjoin the public to report Customs employees who commit unauthorized physical inspections of balikbayan boxes to submit photos and videos of these acts to [email protected] with the necessary details so we can act on them,” he said.

“We also urge our colleagues in government to prioritize the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) pending in Congress so we can harmonize, modernize and simplify our Customs procedures, superseding policies and procedures that have not been updated as far back as 1957. Under the same Act, it is important to note that we have been pushing for the increase of the de minimis value, or the threshold value for taxable imported goods, from the current P10 in duties, taxes and charges for the benefit of our OFW kababayans.”

Congressional review

Sen.  Ralph Recto wants to increase the tax-exempt value of the contents of a balikbayan box to $2,000 from the present $500. 

He has filed Senate Bill 2913, the proposed Balikbayan Box Law for this purpose.

“But what the OFWs want is not temporary relief but permanent protection against whimsical search and seizures of their padala,” he said.

By raising the tax-exempt ceiling, the “motive and the temptation” to open balikbayan boxes will be removed, Recto said.

“The  $2,000 cap per carton will be hard to breach,” he said. “The value of almost all balikbayan boxes does not reach that amount. The  $2,000 limit is a vaccine against the opening (of balikbayan boxes).” 

BOC Memorandum Circular No. 7990 fixing a maximum value of $500 per balikbayan box  is 25 years old, Recto said.

It has been overtaken by foreign exchange upheavals and inflationary pressures, he added.

After the new tax-exempt limit has been adjusted to $2,000, the next mandatory revisit of that amount would take place every six years, Recto said.

“We don’t have to wait for a quarter of century again to adjust the ceiling,” he said.

“The intent of this bill is to recognize the Philippine tradition and culture of promoting and preserving strong family ties as represented by a balikbayan box carefully loaded with goodies by our hardworking OFWs,” he said.

The status of parcels mailed through the post office will also be reviewed, Recto said.

The maximum ceiling per box must also be applied on mailed parcels, he added.

House inquiry

The House of Representatives will look into the BOC decision  to subject balikbayan boxes to stringent examination, including opening some of them.

Resolution No. 2311 of Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo prompted the inquiry. – With Jess Diaz, Aurea Calica, Helen Flores,  Chrisina Mendez,  Mayen Jaymalin, Ding Cervantes