Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are usually depicted in movies showing them putting so much effort in collecting items to fill a balikbayan box (care box), even if it means painstakingly juggling work day and night just to ensure that the cargo is full to the brim.
OFWs in the UAE spend in the range of from Dh1,500 to as much as Dh6,000 to fill up their balikbayan boxes in time for Christmas, The Filipino Times learned.
Usual contents include soaps and toiletries but with some “add-ons” for the holidays — shoes for the little brother or son, watch for dad, perfumes for mom or daughter — and groceries for Noche Buena.
Stocking up the balikbayan box usually starts from as early as March and as late as September.
Year-round
In addition, these balikbayan boxes go all year-round. The Filipino Times also found out through data released from LBC Express and Makati Express Cargo that at least 237 containers are sent out from the UAE to the Philippines via sea cargo for the first nine months of the 2019 – with each container holding up to 230 boxes. This brings a total of 54,510 balikbayan boxes that families back home in the Philippines would be thrilled to open once it reaches their doors for the whole year, on or before the Christmas season.
Projected numbers for sea cargo for the 4th quarter are 55 containers or another 12,650 balikbayan boxes, bringing a total of 67,160 for sea cargo alone. Some OFWs who send their boxes through the Christmas Rush opt for the pricier yet quicker air cargo as the cut-off is only by December 16. This way, they’re sure that the balikbayan box still arrives in time for Christmas Eve.
Handled with utmost care
As mentioned, top buys for many Filipinos that easily go into their balikbayan boxes include shoes, candies and chocolates, perfume, gadgets, clothes, canned goods, branded watches, laundry and detergent powders, lotions, shampoos, soaps, and conditioners, and more for the family to use and enjoy back home.
These items are purchased on top of what OFWs are already sending back home through their monthly remittances, which what makes each balikbayan box a special labour of love for many OFWs, as some even write heartfelt letters for their loved ones along with specific instructions as to which item will be allotted for whom.
Packages from the Heart
As these items fill up the balikbayan boxes, Filipinos will immediately send them out to reach their families, no matter what month it is. Allan Michael Bautista, LBC Express Senior Marketing and Sales Manager for Middle East Operations, said that LBC alone reaches up to 7,000 boxes shipped per week during the peak season.
“We know that sending balikbayan boxes is just one of the many ways overseas Filipinos express their love to their families during this season. Should they choose to make the padala, we recommend that they find the best value items to fill their balikbayan boxes with and that they find a freight forwarder they can trust who will ensure that their boxes are safe and secure, handled with the utmost care, and are delivered safely to their families,” Bautista said.
Rational Sacrifice
For many OFWs – this aspiration to enrich the lives of families that they have left back home often lead them to choose better earning jobs rather than jobs that make them happy, as per a recent online poll segment “Tanong ng Bayan” conducted by The Filipino Times.
One of the key findings of the poll was that many Filipinos choose high paying salaries, even if it means sacrificing their own happiness. The reason? It points back to OFWs who have stated that the only thing that genuinely makes them happy is the thought of providing their families a decent life back home, even as they tirelessly work abroad.
Netizen Elmar Espiritu Andales puts it to a time-based perspective where work only lasts for eight hours and you have the rest of the day, plus your day off to enjoy. “Kapag maliit ang sahod ‘di ka din masaya kasi maliit ang naiipon mo. Tandaan natin ang working hours ay 8 hours lang, may natitira ka pang 16 hours para magsaya sa labas ng trabaho ‘di ba? Kaya nga tayo nag-abroad para kumita ng mas malaki,” he said.
Fellow netizen Rachelle Bahan furthered that higher salaries coupled with proper financial planning can have Filipinos heading home sooner than they expected. “Kapag malaki ang sahod, mabilis makaka-ipon, tapos pwedeng umuwi agad kapag naka-ipon na.
Mas masaya kapag masaya ang parents mo.”
Budget Reminder
But even with the festive celebrations of the holiday season here in the UAE, Filipinos are also reminded to spend their money wisely and save a little for themselves. Experts have advised Filipinos to be more mindful of expenditures because at the end of the day, the real value of the season of giving isn’t how expensive your gift is, but the sincerity of the thought that counts.
In addition, the influx of sale events around the UAE together with the discounts that are available for well known brands can tempt OFWs to buy many gifts – however it’s good to practice moderation so that you’ll get to spend less and save more.
This way, Filipinos not only get to spend for their loved ones’ wish lists, they also save some money for their own future as they become more disciplined in spending money with the dream to fly back to the Philippines with savings on hand and a secure future in mind.
