‘My father started it in ’60s’

Honorable Mention

MANILA, Philippines–Ours is a story of OFWs.

My father started it all during the heydays of deployment for Saudi Arabia during the ’60s. He was among the “lucky” ones who were transferred from one country to the other in the Middle East, aspired work companion by his British boss, until he lost most of his hearing, due to the nature of his work amid heaving growling oil drilling machinery.

I remember vividly how excited we were with my siblings waiting for the balikbayan box from Saudi from our Santa Claus father. I was in my early adolescent years in the ’60s, being born in 1951 and as such, I was anticipating some branded jeans (Levi’s) inside the brown box, with the Swiss chocolate bars that I would save to double as a gift for my girlfriend, thirdly was the piece of Italian parmesan cheese I so loved to devour with pears, which I found so exotic, and then the longing for a CD perfume or a YSL one … but sometimes a BRUT would do. And of course, we always waited for the packets of M&M candies, which we loved to share with the children who came to sing us Christmas carols during December nights.

For my mom, the top 1 to 4 balikbayan box content wish list was of course my father. Yes, she was happy we had all the goodies that made us happy but my dad’s presence during Christmas was all she would ask from Jesus.

Now we have grown. Dad is gone and so is mom, just a couple of years ago. And me, at 63 years old, I become a child again, counting the days before Christmas, and with a childlike excitement, would wait for the balikbayan box to arrive, like many years ago, but this time from my sister, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who is in Florence, Italy.

And again, I would anticipate some Italian branded shoes or clothing, not anymore for me but for my children, then the Italian panettone or pandoro, parmesan cheese, Swiss chocolates, Bulgari scents and the assorted packs of candies!!

A number of years have passed but our longings have altered very little. This time, I understand so much my mother’s preference for a balikbayan contents: 1 to 5 on top is the presence of my family together during Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Inay! Merry Christmas, Itay!!!

1. How I wish the Philippine customs would not charge us exorbitant duties for the boxes we receive during Christmas as they only intensify our want for our loved ones not to send goodies anymore as we would be penalized by unreasonable tax anyway.

Instead, may our government find ways to incite airlines to give incentives to returning OFWs on Christmas Day by lowering their airfares and not increasing them during the season, thereby inviting many more Filipinos to experience the unique Christmas celebration in their homeland.