Posts Tagged ‘Pilipinos’

Filipino’s Search for Balikbayan Box

The Balikbayan Box is already a symbol for the hard work of many Pilipinos working abroad or outside the Philippines just to earn a decent income for their families in the Philippines. It is a package box filled with variety of stuffs from garments to household needs to personal stuffs like soaps, shampoos and towels, wrapped and compressed into a one large box, either sent prior to the homecoming of a Pilipino worker outside the Philippines to their respective families in the Philippines or it is together with the cargo of a Pilipino worker when he comes home as a “pasalubong” (a present or gift) which signifies his or her hard work outside the Philippines.

The word Balikbayan is equivalent to the English words “back home”, thus a Balikbayan box represents a present to their respective families in the Philippines when they come back home.

However, not all Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are fortunate to send or to bring a Balikbayan box when they got home in the Philippines because some experience maltreatment and abuses from their foreign employers and the worse sometimes some Overseas Filipino Workers end up being jailed abroad or even killed unjustly, which brings greater bitterness, tears, and sorrows to their respective families in the Philippines rather than a Balikbayan box that brings smile and joy.

The desire to find a better pasture outside the Philippines results into finding hungry wolves that devours joy and Hope. Only few Pilipinos outside the Philippines are fortunate to found a greener pasture or a Balikbayan Box that they could send or bring home to their loves ones in the Philippines.

Philippines Richest Man

This half Chinese, half Pilipino entrepreneur is of course, not only the No. 1 richest man in the Philippines but also the most famous man in the Philippines because of his very famous successful and well loved Malls which have branches nationwide or have spread on the entire Philippine – the SM Malls or SM Supermalls.

The SM Mall is now the national Mall of the Philippines which have 37 branches nationwide or across the Philippines and four branches in China where the half bloodline of this Chinese-Pilipino entrepreneur resides. Of course, what I am talking about is none other than Mr. Henry Sy.

Because of this success of him in retail business (actually, the SM Supermalls are group of retail businesses residing within one commercial building), the Philippine Retail Association have bestowed him the title “The Father of Philippine Retail” ,only last 2005. Many retail business entrepreneurs have strive to be as successful as Henry Sy’s SM Supermalls but still failed because SM Supermalls holds already the appeal of Pilipino masses. However, there is another Philippine Malls that have an edge against SM Supermalls – The Robinsons Malls. The Robinsons Malls likewise SM Supermalls have many branches across the Philippines and sometimes it established its Malls head to head to SM Supermalls.

Now, one of his large SM Supermalls that exist today is the SM Mall of Asia

National Food Chains in the Philippines

Jollibee Food Corporation is no doubt a very successful original Philippine fast food chain in equal competition with international fast food chain –McDonald. Like McDonald, Jollibee has branches its food business internationally to serve fellow Pilipinos working anywhere in the world; to give Pilipinos a taste of home.

No wonder how Jollibee have been successful whereas the foods it serves are just hamburgers, spaghetti, fried chicken, palabok, and French fries as its main dish, similar to McDonald. Any small time hamburger chain today will find it hard to arise on top of fast food chain market now that Jollibee and McDonald rule this kind of market.

So what’s with hamburger and French fries that it becomes a big hit around the world? Of course, as we all know it, they are delicious and addictive on tongue. Thus, this kind of taste makes hamburger a favorite snack or meal around the world.

However, hamburger, bread with toppings and sandwich bread are not Pilipino meals, rather it is said to be an American meal or foreign meal; rice is the main dish on every Pilipino plate instead. But ironically, Jollibee and McDonald become a hit fast food chain in the Philippines.

Jollibee is an original Philippine Fast food restaurant with international meals and this kind of setting is only in the Philippines.