- An OFW from Hong Kong lost most of her balikbayan goods
- She sent the package through the SpeedPost
- After waiting for weeks, the box finally arrived in Bulacan
- But the box contents were missing and were replaced with newspapers and mails
Another overseas Filipino worker (OFW) has fallen victim to the magic-like disappearances of balikbayan box goods which were suddenly turned into strange things like newspapers and ordinary mails.
The story is told this time by Ailyne Gumabon, an OFW in Hong Kong who allegedly lost more than three-quarters of the goods she sent to the Philippines for her loved ones.
According to Gumabon’s Facebook post, she sent a balikbayan box through SpeedPost on February 16, 2016.
The box supposedly contained 6 pairs of shoes, 6 shirts, a short, a bag, a cup and 32 pieces of chocolates. She even provided a consignment receipt for her package with her husband, Enrico Gumabon as the recipient in the Philippines.
Weeks have passed but her husband has not received any message informing him that the package has arrived, which is supposed to take only three days according to the post office. A check with the post office in Hong Kong revealed the package has been with the Bureau of Customs in Manila since February 17.
But when Mr. Gumabon went to claim the box, he was told it wasn’t there and could have been delivered to another location.
A call from a friend in Customs confirmed that the package has indeed arrived but could not be delivered for one reason or another. Several weeks later they finally received a text message that the box was at the San Miguel, Bulacan post office.
She advised her husband to open the box right there and then, and their suspicion is finally confirmed.
She also posted the consignment receipt
She posted pictures of whatever’s left of the balikbayan box before it left Hong Kong and went through the government agencies.
All but one of the 6 shoe boxes were empty. Chocolates and other items were missing. In short, her box was ransacked by thieves.
Instead, she found a bunch of old newspapers and three bundles of ordinary mails which replaced the contents to compensate for the weight that was originally indicated in the receipt.
Gumabon is however unsure where the pilferage could have occurred – at the post office or at the Bureau of Customs.
“Sino ba di manginginig sa ganyan…mapapamura ka nalang talaga sa galit!!!” was all she could say. [Who won’t tremble in rage over this…you can only curse in anger.]
Read Ailyne Gumabon’s full post here.
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