To have close family ties and to send pasalubong (gifts) are the Filipino traits that gave birth to the balikbayan box. Balikbayan box is a parcel made of corrugated board that contains any number of items that is sent by an Overseas Filipino known as a “balikbayan.” It was in the mid-1970s during Ferdinand Marcos administration that coined the term balikbayan by combining two Filipino words: balik (meaning: go back) and bayan (meaning: town).

Due to poverty and corruption, some members of the family are forced to leave the country to be able to support them. They are called Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). These Filipinos are considered new heroes of our time for they embark on a journey though uncertain on what they will encounter. They take the risk somehow sacrificing their life for their families.

The Balikbayan box of an OFW does not only contain goods, but also the thought, time, and effort of its sender which makes it an experience of love.