23 October 2013 – The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong, in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Philippine Shippers Bureau (DTI-PSB) and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Guangzhou, China, conducted a Filipino Community Forum to address issues arising from the use of balikbayan boxes and the utilization of government-accredited freight forwarding companies by overseas Filipinos, in its premises in 14/F United Center, Admiralty, Hong Kong on October 20.

The forum was attended by over 50 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and representatives from freight forwarding companies. 

The DTI-PSB resource persons, Acting Division Chief Ms. Emma Panopio and Sr. Shipping Operations Specialist Mr. Joel Donato Conde, introduced the regulatory function of the DTI-PSB in accrediting various freight forwarding companies in the Philippines and its partner agencies abroad. They also discussed the procedures in the delivery of balikbayan boxes to the Philippines, the role of international carriers in shipping and issues concerning balikbayan boxes such as non-deliveries to intended recipients in the Philippines.

DTI-PSB clarified during the forum that shippers would have to deal with the Bureau of Customs to secure their cargo as DTI-PSB only has a regulatory function.  It was only recently that DTI also focused on the activities of freight forwarding companies due to the number of complaints received from Filipinos overseas. 

The Hong Kong forum was the first of a four-part series that will also be conducted in Dubai, Riyadh and Singapore to encourage Filipino nationals to use Philippine government-accredited freight forwarding companies. Among the participants were representatives from Advance Global Systems, Ltd. (LBC Express) and AFreight (Asia Pacific) Ltd., two of the 13 DTI-PSB accredited institutions in Hong Kong. END