During World War II, American GIs left behind a trail of spam in the Philippines. Spam symbolized luxury abundance and American freedom for Filipinos who went through Japanese occupation. "I love it but I also have this love hate relationship with it," says CNN's Kat Kinsman.
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