Hello! It's not OWWA's job!

The straightforward refusal of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to take part in the inspection of balikbayan boxes as proposed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) during a congressional hearing on Wednesday did not come as a surprise.

"It’s not part of the OWWA mandate to inspect, whether to witness or be part of the inspection of balikbayan boxes,” said OWWA Administrator Rebecca Calzado, adding OWWA does not have the manpower to spare for such an activity.

The BOC has proposed that in lieu of the random inspection of balikbayan boxes, it would only open for inspection those boxes that, upon passing X-ray and K-9 examinations, would appear to contain contrabands or other suspicious contents.

Calzado said OWWA “neither have the resources nor expertise" to join in the inspection of balikbayan boxes. "We’re not sure what role they want us to play," she said, adding the BOC already has the expertise to do its job.

Among the line agencies of the Department of Labor, OWWA has a track record among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) of being unresponsive to their needs and complaints.

Thus, with OWWA seen by OFWs as being remiss in its own mandate, its refusal to participate in the inspection of the boxes was to be expected. Likewise, the inspection of balikbayan boxes by the BOC has proven to be a powder keg of an issue that has angered OFWs and balikbayans.

OWWA would not be joining BOC in the same boat when it comes to those boxes. There’s a term for what OWWA is doing: iwas-pusoy or evading facing an unbeatable set of cards by one’s opponent. –End-

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