10,000 balikbayan boxes found abandoned at the port

I bet some politicians are lurking here. Here's a great idea for some good PR. Deliver it to the recipient yourself, stick a photo of yourself on the box, and of course take a 'package received' selfie and use it as 'campaign material.' Politicians win, recipients win, senders win, everybody wins!

The article doesn't say anything about taxes or duties at all.

So why did they just abandon them?

That's why I prefer pasabay (asking a traveler to carry items for you) over Balikbayan boxes. It's way more expensive, but faster and somehow more trustworthy.