The Balic Bian Box

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The Balic Bian box helped feed the fantasy of living abroad. The number of Filipinos going overseas to work increased by almost 1000%. As more Balic Bians went abroad, more boxes of goods came flowing back. But it didn't become a multi-billion dollar industry until Filipino entrepreneurs in the U.S. recognized an opportunity.

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