Pinay from US loses $500 worth of pasalubong in PHL airport


It was the kind of homecoming she least expected.

After spending more than a decade in the United States, Mayvenne Castillo returned to the Philippines only to be greeted by an incident involving her balikbayan box.

According to a report on "24 Oras" on Tuesday, Castillo found out that one of her three balikbayan boxes had been ripped open when she retrieved them from the Ninoy Aquino International Aiport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

The other two, the report said, had holes in them and items like canned goods, wallets, bags and perfume worth $500 missing.

"Excited kami nung una eh. I didn't even think about it. Tapos ganon pala 'yung mangyayari. Hindi ako naniniwala dun sa mga sinasabi na baka ma-ano kayo 'dun sa NAIA... Nakaka-disappoint," Castillo said.

The report said NAIA personnel advised Castillo to file a complaint, although they suggested that the boxes may have been opened by US Customs.

Castillo, however, said she was too exhausted from the long flight to heed the advice.

"Meron pang tao sa harap namin na nawalan din ng balikbayan box, so ayaw ko nang maghintay," she said. "It was so frustrating."

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) spokesperson David de Castro said airlines are responsible for the loading and offloading of their passenger's luggage.

"Ground handlers 'yung mga nagha-handle ng bags. All ground handlers are also employees of the airline," De Castro said.

GMA News tried contacting Eastern China Airlines, which was Castillo's connecting flight, for comment, but its office was closed in the airport, the report said. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News 

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