It’s that merry, merry time of the year when hundreds of thousands of balikbayan boxes from Filipinos around the world are being delivered across the Philippines to make Christmas merrier for loved ones back home.
While it’s a normal thing for Filipino families to receive balikbayan boxes throughout the year, receiving those beloved boxes filled with goodies (and with that unexplainable, unique smell of the “first world”—“amoy-Amerika”) during the holiday season is especially more exciting because it is expected to contain not just the usual coffee, chocolates and canned goods, but imported Christmas gifts and treats as well. Thus, overseas Filipinos, especially Filipino Americans (who send the most number of boxes back home), are challenged to send more and spend more for the holiday boxes. Not easy to do during these hard times. But, as one nurse in LA admitted, “kahit may recession, siyempre non-negotiable ang pagpapadala ng balikbayan box sa pamilya ko. Lalo na ngayong Pasko. Kung hirap tayo dito sa America, mas hirap naman sila duon. Kaya nga, all the more akong nagsisikap na padalhan sila ng special treats and gifts this holiday season.”
