BOC launches balikbayan box tracking system

MANILA, Philippines - With 70 percent of the balikbayan boxes arriving in the country during the Christmas season, the Bureau of Customs ((BOC) has come out with an online tracking system to help the public know the status of their packages.

The tracker contains the list of all balikbayan box shipments lodged by local cargo forwarders with the BOC, the country of origin, port of entry in the country and the shipments’ Bill of Lading (BL) number.

Families expecting balikbayan boxes can go to the BOC website, http://customs.gov.ph, to access the system. They should know the name of the forwarder and the BL number to be able to track the shipment in which the balikbayan box is included.

The boxes sent from abroad are usually consolidated into batches and placed in one shipping container aboard a cargo vessel bound for the Philippines. Each container has about 400 boxes.

Shipments from within Asia typically arrive in the country in 15 to 20 days; while those from North America or Europe arrive in 55 to 65 days.