Balic Bian is a word that emerged when Marcos launched this really aggressive migration plan, economic plan to encourage Filipinos to migrate. As a Balic Bian, you're kind of welcome back to the country as the new aristocrats. And throughout the 1980s, the Balic Bians weren't just sending money home. They were also sending goods. Sometimes these boxes were gifts letting their loved ones know, I'm thinking about you. But mostly, items inside were essentials that families needed during an economic crisis.
This time of year, right in the middle of the holiday season, there's a beloved, frenzied tradition playing out in Filipino households all around the world, with which reporter Gabrielle Berbey is intimately familiar. A Balikbayan box is a huge cardboard box (often weighing over 100 pounds) that Filipinos living all over the world send to family members who are still living in the Philippines. The word Balikbayan literally means homecoming in Tagalog.
Balikbayan Boxes