Balikbayan boxes are how millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) around the world send their love to their families back home.
Stored within these nondescript cardboard boxes are a curated assortment of items that range from garments to snacks — but more importantly, they also contain essential supplies that cannot be found back home. While explaining what goes into a typical Balikbayan box, Singapore-based OFW Suntara Venteres unpacks the conflicting thoughts she has about her obligations to her family, as someone who has found opportunities abroad.