Balikbayan

Balikbayan is a term you will hear quite frequently here in the Philippines. Balikbayan, the word, refers to 'Philippine nationals who are permanently residing abroad including their spouses and children, regardless of nationality or country of birth who are returning back to the Philippines'. Or at least, that's how one website defines it. No matter the definition, the meaning is the same: Filipinos living outside the Philippines who are returning home.

Balik = to go back
Bayan = native country

If I was to personally write a definition for the word balikbayan it would be: 'Filipino people and their constant need to import and export STUFF to their family and friends.' You can't truly appreciate their love for STUFF until you share an airplane with a group of Filipinos. A good example is the last time I took Philippine Airlines and we landed here in the Philippines it took me almost an hour to find and collect my luggage because of the STUFF Filipinos were bringing into the country. Traveling Philippines Airlines is pretty much the same as being a passenger on a FedEx airplane: hardly any luggages, all boxes. Boxes filled with STUFF. I heard once this STUFF is pretty much all food. Filipinos love their food.

These boxes bring me back to the word balikbayan. Written on the side of these boxes is 'Balikbayan'. In this case, Balikbayan refers to "take home box" (literally returnee's box). When you think about all the cultures in the world, think about how many really need to name a box "take home box". How many would ever consider naming a box anything besides 'box'? I think 'Balikbayan' came to be because it was necessary to call these boxes something other than 'box' when the boxes started outnumbering the luggages. The boxes became special; almost like a member of the family.

When Aimee and I moved here we shipped off several large boxes of our belongings. These boxes, as well, were labeled Balikbayan.

I did some early Christmas shopping recently at a store called Balikbayan Handicrafts. There's that word again! The word, in this case, refers to handicrafts made by Filipinos out of material found in the Philippines. What's amusing about the word this time though is the main customers at Balikbayan Handicrafts aren't Filipinos; they're tourists. So although 'Balikbayan' is a Filipino word, tourists too can take part in this constant need for STUFF. I know I did (but the question remains, am I still a tourist or a Filipino?).


At Balikbayan Handicrafts you can purchase this big guy for only 250,000 pesos (6000 CAD)! Shipping is extra. If you do decide to get him shipped I can guarentee the word 'Balikbayan' will be printed on the box! And what a huge Balikbayan Box it will be!