Topic · 8 pages
Packing the box
Packing a balikbayan box so it survives the trip: what fits, the courier weight and size limits, and a first-timer’s step-by-step.
What you can and can’t put in a balikbayan box (2026)
A sourced, dated list of what the duty-free balikbayan box privilege covers and what the Bureau of Customs classes as prohibited, restricted or regulated.
Balikbayan box weight & size limits, by courier
Balikbayan box size and weight limits by courier: posted tiers set against the CAO §3.2 200,000 cm³ volume cap and the ₱150,000 value cap, sourced and dated.
Your first balikbayan box: a step-by-step packing & sending checklist
A plain step-by-step for your first balikbayan box: qualify, get courier quotes, pack within the rules, declare, and hand off — with the sourced privilege.
Sending US appliances to the Philippines: voltage and customs
US appliances run on 120V; the Philippines is 230V, at the same 60Hz. Read the appliance's INPUT label first — then the customs value threshold.
New or used: what 'personal and household effects' actually covers
The customs definition of personal effects covers commodities 'whether new or used', and the same sentence sets the boundary. What the two terms cover.
Why customs opens a balikbayan box: what actually draws a closer look
A box is not pulled at random. A few patterns make one stand out from the rest. What those patterns are, with the sourced thresholds linked.
Is your balikbayan box really insured? What 'covered' usually isn't
Most senders assume the contents are covered. Default liability and real insurance are different things, and the gap is where the loss sits.
Why the Christmas balikbayan box is really a July decision
Pasko arrives in December, but the sea box that makes it is decided by summer — with a courier's own 'ship by August' advisory and the transit scale behind it.