Balik Bayan Boxes
Just to answer the question what is a balik bayan box, I thought I'd post the reply.
Filipinos highly admire and enjoy gifts sent or brought back from a trip. There is a special word for that type of gift. It is Pasalubong. In fact, this type of gift is often required.
The work Balik means to return and I'm not sure what bayan means but it is a box that can be sent from the US and possibly elsewhere although I know not from the UK to the Philippines. It is sent on a container ship so takes months to arrive but does not have to pay the regular duty fees that apply to other forms of shipments. And as long as the box doesn't bulge on the sides, there is no weight limit!!
Basically it's a box that is full of gifts that someone would send to their family if they were working overseas and wanted to send items that you can't get here in the Philippines. Not sure if that completely does it justice but let me tell you, there is great excitment when one arrives.
The only problem is that the inside of the box gets incredibly hot, it melted the rubber strap to a set of snorkeling goggles to the side of my mixing bowl in the first box we sent before we arrived. So no books, candles, candy that will melt and anything else not heat safe. But most things make it just fine.
Hope this answers your question!
Filipinos highly admire and enjoy gifts sent or brought back from a trip. There is a special word for that type of gift. It is Pasalubong. In fact, this type of gift is often required.
The work Balik means to return and I'm not sure what bayan means but it is a box that can be sent from the US and possibly elsewhere although I know not from the UK to the Philippines. It is sent on a container ship so takes months to arrive but does not have to pay the regular duty fees that apply to other forms of shipments. And as long as the box doesn't bulge on the sides, there is no weight limit!!
Basically it's a box that is full of gifts that someone would send to their family if they were working overseas and wanted to send items that you can't get here in the Philippines. Not sure if that completely does it justice but let me tell you, there is great excitment when one arrives.
The only problem is that the inside of the box gets incredibly hot, it melted the rubber strap to a set of snorkeling goggles to the side of my mixing bowl in the first box we sent before we arrived. So no books, candles, candy that will melt and anything else not heat safe. But most things make it just fine.
Hope this answers your question!
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