Cargo forwarders reminded balikbayan box senders that there is a cut-off for sending boxes for the holiday season.
They recommend for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to prioritize sending their balikbayan boxes within September to make sure that there is enough time for the shipment and to make sure that the boxes arrive in time for Christmas this 2022.
For sea cargo, it usually takes 40-60 days until the box reaches its destination, door-to-door. However, with the Christmas holiday rush, cargo companies are anticipating a huge volume of balikbayan boxes to send back to the Philippines estimating that it may even take up to 90 days before it reaches Manila – and even longer if you are sending to provinces.
Balikbayan box cargo company JRS Express said that they are expecting a surge of customers in the next coming months. In preparation for the -ber months, they are now extending their working hours to be able answer our customer’s inquiries and are now adding up manpower to cater to pick-up and delivery requests.
“As Filipinos, we grew up in a culture of sharing is caring, gift giving, sharing the blessings, and specifically Christmas is one of the special occasions we look forward to. OFWs send their balikbayan boxes to Philippines, so their family back there could feel their love and presence. A single smile from their family makes the OFW happy,” said Ann Gellie Mamangun, JRS General Manager.
A common forecast from cargo forwarders this -ber months shows that delivery of boxes to the Philippines from the Middle East to Metro Manila via sea cargo can take up to 90 days considering the ongoing worldwide port congestion. Meanwhile, air cargo deliveries can take up to 14-30 days.
Outside Metro Manila deliveries are expected to take longer.
LBC Express encourages Pinoy OFWs in the Middle East to send boxes as early as this month to make sure their balikbayAn boxes reach Philippines in time for the Christmas season.
“We have been gearing up for the holidays since last month and we anticipate the same volume of boxes being sent to the Philippines this peak season. Though we’ve seen air cargo slowly gaining preference for urgent and smaller parcels, this doesn’t stop regular customers to still send their hard-earned big care boxes.
After all, the items being sent are not just considered gifts, but also essentials for their home such as groceries and toiletries, or for their children’s education such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones. This is also why we launched LBC Merry Delivery Campaign to encourage early sending of holiday boxes while getting the best shipping rates and a chance to win over PhP2.5Million worth of prizes for every box they send.
While admittedly we’ve witnessed longer lead time and sailing days all over the world due to challenges in the logistics and global supply chain related to port congestion and unavailability of vessels, LBC being the biggest logistics provider in the Philippines, continue to be in the forefront of finding ways to move these balikbayan boxes through our strong network back home at the soonest possible time and offering the best value offers whether for sea or air cargo,” said Allan Michael Bautista, Sales & Marketing Manager, Middle East Operations at LBC Express Inc.
Read: Over Php 2.5M cash prizes to giveaway with LBC’s Merry Delivery raffle promo
This is why they advise OFWs in Dubai and the UAE to send their boxes within the month of September, to avoid delays and hassles.
OFWs are also advised to coordinate with their preferred cargo providers for them to find out their respective cut-offs especially for areas outside Manila, particularly the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
Freight forwarders also reminded OFWs that in case they miss out on the sea cargo cut-offs, they have an option to send their boxes via air cargo which will only take 14 to 30 days.
OFWs are likewise advised to only opt for legitimate and trusted freight forwarders to assure that their boxes reach their families in the Philippines.
