For nearly five decades, the balikbayan box has stood as one of the most recognizable cultural and emotional touchstones for Filipino communities across the United States, linking millions of immigrant households to their loved ones back in the homeland through carefully packed shipments of American goods. This enduring tradition traces its origins not to grassroots diaspora culture alone, but to a 1973 state-led tourism initiative launched by then-Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., just one year after he imposed martial law across the country.
The balikbayan box: The way Filipino Americans have sent love all the way back home
