{"id":1135,"date":"2020-11-26T15:23:36","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T14:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kabayanremit.com\/blog\/?p=1135"},"modified":"2021-09-23T11:05:26","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T10:05:26","slug":"balikbayan-box","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kabayanremit.com\/blog\/lifestyle\/balikbayan-box\/","title":{"rendered":"Sending a balikbayan box to the Philippines"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Now that Christmas is approaching, lots of Filipinos overseas are preparing balikbayan boxes to send to their families back in the Philippines.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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With the ever-growing number of Filipinos that live abroad, sending balikbayan boxes has become part of the Philippine culture. For Filipinos, it’s become a symbol of sending love despite being thousands of miles away from home.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

What is a balikbayan box?<\/h2>\n\t
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\"What<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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Aptly called “balikbayan”, which means “returning home”, a balikbayan box is a package Filipino migrants usually send back home to their loved ones in the Philippines. It is a corrugated cardboard box that Filipinos fill up with different items that they want to give to their family and relatives, such as household items, toiletries, clothes, non-perishable food and many more.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Filipinos buy the items and fill up the box throughout the year. Once it’s full, they ship it by sea or air before the year ends, so their family can get it in time for Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Laws for sending a balikbayan box<\/h2>\n\t
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\"Laws<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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According to the\u00a0<\/span>Bureau of Customs<\/span><\/a> (BOC), for your balikbayan box to be tax or duty-free, you must be a Qualified Filipino and the total value of the items you send throughout the year should be less than Php 150,000. Anything in excess is subject to duty, VAT and excise tax.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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You are only allowed to send items less than commercial quantities. Everything that you include must be for the personal use of your family only and must not be sold commercially.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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It is also helpful to know that before you pack your balikbayan box, some items may be prohibited or restricted. If caught sending these, the BOC may confiscate the package.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Here are the items prohibited by the BOC:<\/h3>\n\t
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