The top dog for the Bureau of Custom recently announced his intent to be more vigilant concerning the contents of Balikbayan boxes (BB). Legislators, OFWs and assorted pundits are up in arms about violating the sacrosanct privilege to send boxes full of stuff to the Philippines without scrutiny
Those that complain are way behind the times. Spam, chocolate, toys,U.S. and European canned goods and Chinese made athletic shoes can be had in the Philippines at prices that make it silly to pay for the price of shipping a BB. In the past year or so, I've noticed online companies that will take orders, buy stuff from Amazon, EBAY and shippers in Hong Kong, Singapore, etc., handle customs levies at a set fee and deliver in the Philippines. No matter what's in the BB. It would be hard to find a price advantage over buying it in the Philippines. Nor is it likely the BB will contain items not available in the Philippines.
BB shipping rules say computer or electronic euuipment is prohibited and few BB are free of such items. Strange that people in the hallowed chambers of government where those rules are devised denigrate the guy the administration hired to enforce the rules that fall by the wayside with the arrival of every BB.
Maybe there's nothing to replace the thrill of receiving a BB shipped 4 months ago. Who, however, wouldn't eventually move away from that train of thought to be able to avoid the hassle of putting together BB when Lozada.com and more and more competitors make the transaction clean and efficient for about the same price.
Over this past week, I've read at least a dozen newspaper articles concerning the opinions of (obviously) out of touch public personalities who don't know they're battling against technology.
Those that complain are way behind the times. Spam, chocolate, toys,U.S. and European canned goods and Chinese made athletic shoes can be had in the Philippines at prices that make it silly to pay for the price of shipping a BB. In the past year or so, I've noticed online companies that will take orders, buy stuff from Amazon, EBAY and shippers in Hong Kong, Singapore, etc., handle customs levies at a set fee and deliver in the Philippines. No matter what's in the BB. It would be hard to find a price advantage over buying it in the Philippines. Nor is it likely the BB will contain items not available in the Philippines.
BB shipping rules say computer or electronic euuipment is prohibited and few BB are free of such items. Strange that people in the hallowed chambers of government where those rules are devised denigrate the guy the administration hired to enforce the rules that fall by the wayside with the arrival of every BB.
Maybe there's nothing to replace the thrill of receiving a BB shipped 4 months ago. Who, however, wouldn't eventually move away from that train of thought to be able to avoid the hassle of putting together BB when Lozada.com and more and more competitors make the transaction clean and efficient for about the same price.
Over this past week, I've read at least a dozen newspaper articles concerning the opinions of (obviously) out of touch public personalities who don't know they're battling against technology.
