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, customs and courier rules
US mains are 120 V, Philippine 230 V, both 60 Hz. The rating label, the DTI-BPS appliance list, CAO 01-2018 and couriers' posted appliance rules, dated.
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.
The Christmas balikbayan box is a July decision: planning the method and budget early
Pasko lands in December, but the method, packing and budget behind a sea box are set by summer: the transit scale and one courier's own sea advisory, dated.