Palayok Sari-Sari

The City of Manila has been implementing its truck ban since February 24, 2014. This has caused tremendous backlog and congestion in the Port of Manila (POM) and at the Manila International Container Port. (MICP), and consequently delays in deliveries of balikbayan boxes.

The Manila truck ban is in addition to an existing truck ban imposed by the Metro Manila Development Authority, which bans trucks from entering certain major streets in Metro Manila from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Under the Manila truck ban, eight-wheeler trucks and vehicles with a gross weight of more than 9,920 pounds are banned from Manila's streets from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 9 pm. There are some exceptions, including vehicles carrying perishable goods and petroleum products, and those serving government projects. There is no truck ban on Saturdays and Sundays, but the Bureau of Customs is not open on weekends.

As a result, while before turnaround time for trucks was one day, it now takes the same truck three days to deliver its cargo and return to the port. That means, more or less, deliveries are around three times slower than before. The delay has caused a domino effect on all deliveries, from the delayed processing and release of containers, to delayed delivery of containers because of lack of trucks available in the ports, and to delay in delivery to beneficiaries' homes.

Also because of the truck ban, truck companies raised their fees by 50% effective March 15. That means, in addition to the delays, added costs for cargo forwarders and importers. The fee for transporting a 20-footer from MICT or South Harbor to Cavite (Bacoor, Imus, Kawit and Noveleta) - the closest in the list to Las Pinas - is P20,400 and P22,200.

Atlas Shippers International has not increased its rates despite the added costs to transport the balikbayan boxes.

Please advise your customers of these delays, which are not within our control, so that they would understand why delivery of their balikbayan boxes are delayed by a few days. If their boxes need to reach their beneficiary within a certain day, please advise them to send their boxes at least seven days in advance to make up for the expected delays in the Port of Manila.

MANY THANKS! MORE POWER TO ALL OF YOU!

TO ALL PALAYOK SARISARI LOYAL CUSTOMERS!

 TESTIMONIALS

Hi!, How are you? I got a text message from home this morning that the box already came. I want to say thank you to you and your husband for taking the time for picking the box up. It really made a big difference and i'm so glad that somebody like you will come and mail it for me.My family are really happy they have something from the states.

Te tananggap ko na ung box ko sa pinas,,, tapos padala Naman Ako nxtym ng box....

 Dear Palayok,

My sincere thanks to you for your effort in getting my wife's box shipped to her home. You sure went extra mile to help her out.

Thank you very much

Carl

BAD EXPERIENCE FROM VILLAMAYOR ENTERPRISES

Due to the past experienced I have with (Star Kargo Missouri coordinator) Mr. Arthur Villamayor, many complaints from the customers on the delays and in one occasion they lost one of the box of Fort Smith customer. Mrs. Galvan sent 3 boxes on 03/2010, Star Kargo only delivered 2 and according to them that is all they received. Mr. Villamayor gave us no report on what happened. June 2010, I have to pay the customer for her lost. I paid the customer $300 for her box and I returned her full shipping fee. Star Kargo had no plan to reimbursed me. Mr. Villamayor and I argued and I charged him $415 including the international long distance expenses. Villamayor Enterprises had a tendency to be LESS THAN HONEST WITH HIS AGENTS. So I decided that beginning in the month of September 2010 not to send anymore boxes through his company.