“Complainants are advised to proceed to the Philippine Embassy to file grievances against cargo”
Ricky Laxa
Staff Writer
Manila Express Cargo, a local cargo company has gone viral on social media due to footages and photos taken in an abandoned area where numerous unsent boxes were discovered, several of which were received and picked up by cargo staff dated from as early as July of 2021. Some of the senders have gone home for good and have been promised delivery but to no avail. None of the staff have answered calls and numbers have been deactivated as well as its social media accounts.
Several of the boxes stacked in an outdoor area and smaller room inside a building in Farwaniya were partly covered and lined up around the premises. Most of the boxes were collected in earlier months of the year 2021 dated as early March and July. Many of the so-called victims claimed that Manila Cargo Express is under a license of a local company operating along with four other smaller cargo groups. These smaller cargo companies often offer lower rates because they do not have security fees or insurance, no warehouse to pay rent and smaller number of staff.
Many of them face problems with brokers who claimed not to have been paid for their services. Most of those who have been victimized by the company were household service workers who saved their three to four months salaries and purchased items and gifts for their families back in the Philippines. “I sent medicines for a family member, but it’s been months since the cargo has not arrived and the person, I intend to give these medicines already passed away” stated one of the Filipina household helpers.
Most too have claimed that they have enclosed in their cargo boxes food items and are not sure if these items have expired. “Many of these smaller cargo companies mostly collect boxes and store them in unsecured areas and fail to deliver, when their complaints arise, they return the cargo boxes but not the cash paid for the service. “It’s definitely a scam, many of these senders prefer to have their boxes returned without the cash repaid” added household helper
Employers of different household service workers have also attempted to talk to the company but to no avail. According to some of the household helpers who visited the place in Farwaniya that staff was present to accommodate their complaints but also claimed that the Filipino couple who apparently were owners of the company had run off to the Philippines with the collections and abandoned the staff.
The same staff also claimed that she was a victim herself as she was never informed of the current situation of the cargo company. Such claims were termed by the victims as lies and pretense as she had been present in all transactions and fully aware of the cargo operations. As early as this morning police have rounded and picked up several boxes for investigations. They also have instructed OFWs not to pull out any boxes started today.
The Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Mohammad Noordin Pendosina Lomondot was alarmed with such case and requested all complainants to come forward to the Embassy and provide details of their cases. The Assistance to Nationals of the Philippine Embassy too have been advised to accommodate all complaints of OFWs who are currently with similar situations. The Philippine Embassy will provide legal assistance to the victims if needed.
The Times have made attempts to call the numbers posted in the receipt but no response from the Manila Cargo. The Embassy of Indonesia have also been contacted should they have received similar complaints from the same cargo company as it provides services to the country.