Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto has launched a sweeping reform in the Bureau of Customs (BOC) by introducing a Joint Administrative Order (JAO) aimed at protecting the rights of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and ensuring the safe and timely delivery of balikbayan boxes to their families.

The JAO, jointly issued by the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), BOC, and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), is expected to significantly improve the process and reduce delays in the delivery of boxes sent by Filipinos abroad.

Under the new order, the government will identify and accredit legitimate international freight forwarders, while cracking down on fly-by-night operators that have been linked to missing or delayed shipments.

The JAO also introduces streamlined protocols and a tracking system to monitor the movement of balikbayan boxes from origin to delivery—ensuring transparency, accountability, and faster customs clearance.

Recto emphasized that balikbayan boxes symbolize the love and sacrifice of Filipino workers abroad, and thus must be handled with the dignity and protection they deserve.

“This reform is our gift to our modern-day heroes. We are putting an end to the abuse and long-standing inefficiencies that have plagued the balikbayan box system,” Recto said.