BoC won’t open box of OWWA members

OFWs pack balikbayan boxes In Central to be sent to their family in the Philippines (file photo).

AS the Christmas season draws near, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who are legitimate Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) members, just might have an advantage when it comes to the speedy release of their balikbayan boxes.

BoC Commissioner Alberto Lina said that once they get a copy of the list of the OWWA members, these hardworking Filipinos working abroad would be given an “OFW treatment.”

Commissioner Lina, however, declined to explain what he meant by “OFW treatment” and only said it would be his “surprise.”

One of the benefits of an OWWA-member is the “pre-clear privilege.” This means that even if their shipment is still in the port of origin, they could already be cleared by Customs for  as long as theOFW sends photocopies of certain documents such as their airway bill, bill of lading and invoice to the BOC.

With the number of balikbayan boxes during the holidays, Commissioner Lina said the “pre-clearing” of shipment would be advantageous to OFWs.

From the two to three-day average releasing time of a balikbayan box, Lina said they would be able to trim down the processing time of these “pre-cleared” shipments to 24 hours.

BoC Deputy Commissioner for Revenue Collection Arturo Lachica earlier said that the packages of the OWWA member who would take advantage of the “pre clear” system would already be cleared even before they arrive in the country and they would no longer be scrutinized by the agency.

“The presumption is that it (balikbayan box) is already ok,” Lachica had said.

However, he admitted that there are still aspects of this program that require fine-tuning, like dealing with the packages of non-OWWA members.

Lachica said claims that balikbayan boxes were being used to bring in contraband were “speculative.”

“As much as possible, we do not want to disturb (or conduct) physical examination that would delay the release (of the shipment). I think what is clear here is that they are OFWs and the suspicion would be erased,” he said.