All About Balikbayan Box

Balikbayan boxes, as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) defines , are packages of only personal and household effects Filipinos overseas sent to families or relatives they left back home. But more than just a box of goodies, these special packages are a physical representation of our countrymen’s selfless love, connecting families amidst years and miles of being apart. More than knowing the rates of sending balikbayan boxes to the Philippines , it is only important that you, as a sender or receiver, learn more about these packages by heart. When did the balikbayan box trend started? With the surge of Filipinos working in the United States in the 1980s, it sparked the culture of sending balikbayan boxes back to the country. This has since played a vital role among households with family members who are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).  Are balikbayan boxes duty & tax free? Yes, these parcels are duty & tax free. Under RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CM...

If it is your first time forwarding a balikbayan box to the Philippines , chances are, you’re having a hard time deciding whether to ship it by air or by sea. How are the two different, exactly? And more importantly, why should you choose one over the other? There are various factors to consider when choosing a forwarding service, and keeping them in mind should make you feel secured when sending your package to your love ones. (Image Source: Rappler) Transit Time When it comes to speed of delivery, air freight fares better than its sea counterpart. Air shipments usually take days, even hours only compared to weeks or months of sea freights. Depending on the location, transit time on air freights may take as fast as 8 hours to 7 days while sending your package via shipping vessel may take 12 to 45 days. However, with the addition of new ocean routes in the past years, it has also become possible for some ocean shipments to arrive in just a week. If the arrival time of your p...