The Filipino is a lover and among the things the Filipino individual loves is his life style, his immediate family, especially the elders, and his close friends over the years. As the word ‘lovers’ often connotes, thoughts bordering on illicit sexual relations may come up but that is not the case in the matter of the Balikbayan Box. Strictly speaking, however, the human animal being the only rational creature produced by God, is the only one capable of true love.
The Filipino loves the idea of living, singing, dancing, and smiling—all generated by basic feelings of love to be shared with others.
One current symbol of love, Filipino style, is embodied in the Balikbayan Box that we Filipinos never fail to ship with goodies galore to our loved—there it goes again—ones in the Philippines or elsewhere. Some observers say that we are among the few immigrants who slave at our jobs—oftentimes, three jobs at a time—and instead of saving most of our earnings we “squander” our incomes on foodstuff and items we know will make our Philippine-based loved ones happy. In fact, to many the Balikbayan Box is almost like the galleon of centuries ago which the Spanish Throne launched from Manila to Acapulco, those first trading vessels in that time of the world which brought gold, silver, precious metals and rare artifacts.
Our modern galleons today are the Balikbayan Boxes containing the fruits of our sacrifice which we offer in love to our parents, brothers, sisters and even children, who for some reason can not yet or will never be able to come and join us as immigrants here in the United States.
Unlike Pandora’s Box which tragically contained a multitude of plagues such as gout, rheumatism, and colic which attacked the body, and envy, spite, and revenge which assaulted the mind, the Balikbayan Box is a more positive offering and that is the hope which lies at the very bottom. Whatever evils we may suffer in our homeland, hope never entirely leaves us; and while we have that, no amount of other ills can make us completely wretched. So, the Balikbayan Box is our hope chest and is at the root of all our efforts in fashioning a life outside the Philippines, building a career in the U.S. but remaining linked, like the umbilical cord between a mother in the Philippines and her son in America. This brown, cardboard magic box is a treasure chest and its contents represent a loving son’s investment in time and sweat It could very well be a small treasure straight from someone’s heart.
Not only that, the relative who returns as a balik bayan also brings along “padala” in the form of cash or precious jewelry to some special person in the mainland, galing sa “pinas’ as they refer to our home.
Oftentimes, aside from items in the box, some secretly wish vicariously that they themselves are virtually inside the box taking this journey back home – which many yearn to go back to, and rejoin and reconnect with that special person. It could be a husband, a son or daughter, or an aging mother or father. For every shipment of a Balikbayan Box, holds within, the spirit of love from across the seas bearing not only products but also our hearts! Balikbayan has now become synonymous with the intense love of one who wants to nurture it in every box that is sent home.
These brown soldiers of peace—fathers, mothers, and sons—venturing outside the limits of our shores, do so with confidence and hope that someday somehow they can get above the struggle and live comfortably with the earnings they make abroad.
Indeed, the Balikbayan Box seems to be an indictment against the many administrations over the decades who have failed to provide sufficient jobs for the growing population of Filipinos, all because unscrupulous individuals in government thought of their own selves first and the citizens last.
Myrna, who used to teach in a Luzon town, now works as a muchacha in a Madrid family and has learned to speak Spanish, religiously saves all her income so that she can send money (via bank transfers) and goods (via balikbayan boxes) to her three children living with their grandmother. Her husband early in their family life just took off with a bar girl and was never seen again. With this chance to work in Madrid, she has really exerted all her efforts at her job. Soon she will be sending for her children once her papers are fixed – and many Spanish employers are delighted to help Filipinos whose personalities they appreciate and like.
The same is true in Rome where thousands of Filipino domestic workers work quietly caring for Italian children. Once they are hired by Italian families, they get personal assistance from their employers to secure their working visas, for these women and men from the Philippines have won the hearts of many Italians.
Would that we see the time when not only boxes of balikbayan reach our shores, but also treasure chests of “balik katarungan, balik tulongan, and balik tunay na samahan” as our elders knew in their Filipino lives back then before World War II.
Copyright ©2006 Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc.
