MindanaoToday.com | ConsumerNet meeting tackles balikbayan boxes, water issues in Cagayan de Oro
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Fourteen regional line agencies with consumer protection functions convened on May 28 in the second quarter Consumer Network (ConsumerNet) meeting at the Cagayan de Oro Bureau of Customs Conference Room.
ConsumerNet aims to streamline the communication channels between government agencies tasked to protect consumers and help facilitate a speedy resolution of consumer complaints.
The second quarter meeting for 2024 highlights the guidelines on balikbayan box shipment.
Balikbayan box is a corrugated box or other container or receptacle up to a maximum volume of two hundred thousand gross cubic centimeters. In the Philippines, it symbolizes the hard work of Filipino migrants who wish to support their family and friends back home.
Lawyer Roswald Joseph Pague, acting administrative chief of the Bureau of Customs, presented a comprehensive overview of balikbayan boxes, including the clearance procedure, rules and regulations for the authorized sender and recipients, duty and tax-free privilege, and the allowable goods inside the balikbayan boxes.
He said balikbayan box senders should always use a DTI-accredited freight forwarder or deconsolidator for secure and reliable shipping; coordinate with the relevant regulatory agency if the package contains regulated goods (such as food items or plants); stack items neatly inside the box for streamlined customs processing; refrain from accepting items from others to be included in the balikbayan box; and declare the contents of box accurately, including both the items and their values, to prevent penalties or delays.
Meanwhile, Edna Najeal, assistant general manager of Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD), shed light on the current issue of water supply and distribution in the city.
The second quarter ConsumerNet was attended by 24 representatives from the participating government agencies in Northern Mindanao: BOC, COWD, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Trade and Industry, Food and Drug Administration, National Food Authority, National Meat Inspection Service, National Telecommunications Commission, Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit, and Securities and Exchange Commission. (DTI-10/PIA-10)
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