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Sending Mail And
Packages To The Philippines From The United States
Sending documents and packages
to the Philippines is inevitable for any American pursuing a relationship with a
Filipina. During the courtship phase, he will send her letters and
photographs. During the immigration phase, he will send her important forms and
documents necessary for her to obtain a visa. And long after that, when he and
his wife are happily married and settled, there’s a fair chance that he’ll be
loading up “Balikbayan” boxes to ship to his in-laws in the Philippines.
Of course, there are plenty of
shipping options available to him, each with its own pros and cons. Here then
is a short list of the most commonly used carriers, along with certain pertinent
considerations.
Unites States Postal
Service
Pros: Inexpensive and very
convenient.
Cons: The U.S. Postal
Service only carries your letter or package half way to its destination before
the Philippine Postal Service takes over. The Philippine Postal Service is
not nearly as reliable as its American counterpart. Mail is frequently lost
or opened before reaching the recipient. It’s not unusual for the Philippine
delivery person to require the recipient to open a letter or package for
inspection, requiring a fee be paid (around 20 Pesos). Money, cashiers
checks, money orders, etc., are frequently stolen from letters.
Delivery Time:
2 to 6 weeks for Air Mail
Parcel Post
1 to 2 weeks for Global
Priority Mail
Cost: Around $15 for Air
Mail Parcel Post; around $20 for Global Priority Mail.
Ideal for: Unhurried love
letters, postcards, photographs. Lightweight items of little or no monetary
value that do not demand urgent delivery.
Federal Express (“FedEx”)
(http://www.fedex.com/us/)
Pros: Very quick delivery.
FedEx has a large facility in Subic and its own delivery team in the
Philippines, which means your package never leaves FedEx’s custody until it
reaches its recipient. Your package can be tracked via computer.
Cons: Expensive and
inconvenient (you have to use FedEx labels and/or packaging and get it to a
FedEx pick-up point).
Delivery Time:
2-3 days by Overnight
Express (to Manila)
Cost: About $50 for a
one-pound package from a major American city to Manila. You can call
1-800-Go-FedEx for more information.
Ideal for: Important
documents such as immigration forms that require immediate delivery. DHL
offers a similar value.
DHL (http://www.dhl-usa.com)
Pros: Very quick delivery,
and DHL maintains control of the package until it reaches its recipient. Your
package can be tracked via computer. DHL will normally pick up your shipment
as part of its service, though you’ll need a laser printer to print out the
required shipping paperwork (accessed online).
Cons: Expensive.
Delivery Time: 3 days
standard delivery (to Manila).
Cost: About $50 for a
one-pound package from a major American city to Manila. You can call DHL
Customer Service (1-800-CALL-DHL) for an exact rate quote.
Ideal for: Important
documents such as immigration forms that require immediate delivery. Federal
Express offers a similar value.
UPS (http://www.ups.com)
Pros: Quick service at fair
rates. Relatively good rates for larger packages, too.
Cons: Not as expensive as
DHL or FedEx, but much more expensive that the U.S. Postal Service.
Delivery Time: 3-4 days
using UPS WorldWide Express (to Manila).
Cost: About $35 for a
one-pound package from a major American city to Manila via “UPS WorldWide
Express”. You can determine the rate for your particular need at:
http://www.ups.com/using/services/intl/xpd-guide.html .
Ideal for: The budget
conscious fella who needs faster service than the post office can offer,
though not necessarily the lightning speed of DHL or FedEx.
Balikbayan Box (various
companies) [ A “Balikbayan” is a Filipino who no longer resides in the
Philippines, but vacations there from time to time. A “Balikbayan Box” is a
large box of goods that a Filipino expatriate - or a Filipina expatriate and
her husband – sends to relatives in the Philippines. It’s essentially a large
care package, and usually contains goods like clothes, canned foods, candy,
dishes, tools, toys, or anything else the family may have expressed an
interest in.]
Pros: Weight is irrelevant.
The shipping rate is fixed and very inexpensive. The only limitation is how
much stuff you can cram into the box the shipper provides you.
Cons: Sloooooow. A
Balikbayan box usually makes its way to the Philippines as freight aboard a
cargo ship, and it can take a month or even two months to reach its
destination. Some shippers require you to buy your box from them for around
$10. Because the box is freight, it’s not exactly treated with kid gloves, so
don’t put anything fragile in it!
Delivery Time: 30-60 days.
Cost: Depends on the
shipper, but most Balikbayan boxes are shipped for around $100. That’s a flat
rate. It doesn’t matter how much the box weighs. That rate may or may not
include free pickup. If you don’t know of a Balikbayan box shipper in your
area, check with Filipinos in your community, or look for postings are your
local Asian food stores.
Ideal for: Sending
care-packages to your loved ones in the Philippines, especially during the
holidays.
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