Ang Kalatas Volume V September 2015 Issue | Page 3

News

THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 5 Number 12 | september 2015

03

‘Don’t touch our boxes’ New group hopes
One thing that overseas Pinoys surely cannot tolerate
is this: Philippine customs opening their cargo for loved
ones and raising taxes on shipment.
Thanks to overseas Pinoys clenching
fists in protest, the Philippine government
appeared to have backed off on a proposal by a customs director that balikbayan
boxes should be opened for scrutiny apart
from raising taxes on cargo.
“The balikbayan box is the closest
overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can get
to their loved ones while they are away
from home. Only an OFW and his or her
family can understand how even the most
humble balikbayan box contains the most
personalised translation of love and affection for its recipients,” according to a
statement issued by the Migrante Partylist in reaction to reports that the Bureau of
Customs plans to increase clearing fees for

all containers entering Philippines ports to
as much as P100,000 to P120,000.
The first increase of P40,000 per container was imposed last July 27, while another wave of increase is reportedly scheduled to take effect on October 1.
But things might change for the better. Earlier this month, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has filed a bill that
would not only prohibit the opening of
balikbayan boxes but would also exempt
from all duties and taxes one box per overseas Filipino worker (OFW) per month,
according to an Inquirer report.
Citing the constitutional provision that
the government shall protect the rights of
workers and promote their welfare, Sen-

Migrante members and supporters protest in Sydney. (FB photos/LC)

ate Bill 2927 filed by Pimentel aims to institute an expanded balikbayan program,
amending for the purpose Republic Act
No. 6768 as amended by R.A. 9174 and
for other purposes.
Under the bill, a balikbayan box, measuring 24 inches by 24 inches by 30 inches, should only be subjected to non-intrusive methods of inspection by the Bureau
of Customs (BOC) personnel through the
use of trained dogs, x-ray and other similar technologies.

to fight corruption
back home
A group of FilipinoAustralians is forming a
new movement to fight
corruption and help promote
good governance in the
Philippines.

The group – Overseas Pilipino Against Corruption
(OPAC) – will be formally
launched on September 19
at Erskine Park, NSW with
the installation of its first
set of officers to be led by
chairman Buddy Japon.
The OPAC has been
created out of the desire of
several Australia-based Pinoys who wanted to fight
corruption in the Philippines.
Its aims include promoting awareness on the
problem of corruption back
home including raising
funds to encourage and help
honest government workers
– including whistleblowers – to expose irregularities
and big-time corrupt practices in the Philippine government.
The OPAC also hopes
to give out awards and some

assistance to whistleblowers whose exposes lead to
the prosecution of corrupt
officials.
The OPAC is envisioned to be an apolitical
group and is not tied to any
political party in the Philippines, according to one of
its supporters.
Widespread corruption
remains to be a top problem in the Philippines. Out
of 178 countries, the Philippines ranked 85th in the
‘perceived corrupt countries’ in 2014, according to
global corruption watchdog
Transparency International.
Last year, the Global Financial Integrity reported
that the Philippines lose an
average of P357billion every year because of corruption and other crimes such
as tax evasion and money
laundering.