What is a Balikbayan Box?
The term “balikbayan box” translates roughly as “return to one’s homeland.” The true meaning, known to all Filipinos, is a box or boxes that an ex-pat Filipino sends back home that contains all sorts of products such as electronics, toys, food, clothes, shoes and more.
Balikbayan boxes take a month or more to arrive in the Philippines from the US, riding inside shipping containers aboard overseas ships.
Why would Filipinos use such a slow service in this day and age of overnight shipping, online sales and short attention spans? Shipping is cheap compared to sending via Fedex, UPS or other air carrier.
But is it just the inexpensive shipping? There’s actually more economic savings in the process. Former President Ferdinand Marcos actually set the tradition in motion back in the 80s by making balikbayan boxes tax-free. These two money-saving aspects of balikbayan box shipping make it a tradition that stands the test of time.
We at Star Kargo AZ provide outstanding personal service from local pickup in all corners of Arizona to the final delivery in the Philippines. Please call us today if you have any questions.