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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Package to Philippines! Good or Bad?

We all know that Pinoys who work or go abroad are expected to send a package to the Philippines for their family, relatives or friends. But do you think it is good for them? I mean, I have friends and cousin who are living here in US that has a bad experience about sending balikbayan boxes to Philippines. Why? Because family and relatives back home become demanding and ask for more. The worst thing is family members get jealous or envy with each other when they don't get much than the other one. I myself witnessed how sending a package can make the receiver of the package greedy.

When I was a kid, my grandmother sent a package to my Aunt and she put names to all the items whom she want to give it to. To my surprise, my sister and I found an empty can of ham at the garbage with my mom's name on it and that's when we visit my Aunt at their house. There's more. A cousin of mine was sending a package to her family with used shirts in it to protect other stuff inside. Some shirts has names on it already for our neighbor and because I am one of my cousin's trustee and do business with her while I was in the Philippines, I was there in their house when the family open the box. I got mine of course but to my surprise, the mother took the names out of the shirts from the package and said "I'll give this to Mr. so and so." I was like "What a heck! That shirt belongs to somebody else and she give it to another person!" Another package incident happened to me. My cousin sent a package for me for our business. Her sister came and took some items for her to sell with her officemates so she can have a commission. She gave me some of the payments from her friends at work and the rest is "Thank You". She didn't say about the rest of the payments and never talk about it. Grrrrr! Some of the family members who took items for business and told me "Just tell her I took it." Another Filipina friend at work said that sending a package to Philippines can cause trouble. Why? Because people there are not contented of what they received. They always complain, complain and complain that they want more and more. It gets on my nerves every time I hear stories of somebody I knew here who works hard and go to sale items at any stores so they can send a package to their family back home and the one receiving the package is/are not happy and complain, complain, complain. A Pinay co-worker of mine said that she once sent a package to her relatives back home. Some got more than one items and there's one person who got 1 pants only. She was not happy with her pants that my co-worker gave her so what that girl did was destroy the pants, tore it apart and cut it into pieces. I was like "Did she know that people here live lean so they can send something back home?"

There was one time that I heard a complain from my Aunt regarding the gift that my cousin sent to her for her birthday. She got 2 sets of clothes and I think a sandal that my cousin shop around just to buy those things. But my Aunt said "Only this? I don't like this! I want $$$!" It breaks my heart after hearing those words coz my cousin don't have a job and just depending on her husband. She said that she's ashamed of asking to her husband already but her family back home didn't understand that.

So now that I am here in US, I only sent a package once for business with some presents inside. I want my money to make money and at the same time make some profit, a free shipping for sending the package and presents for family and relatives. So far I haven't heard any complains yet from relatives but I lose money from the first package. The one whom I sent the package to is now drowning in debt. She's a good businesswoman but the people around her took advantage of her. I felt sorry for her for helping her father-in-laws cancer medications but her in-laws didn't even care to help their own father. Now I'm sending a second package which might be the last one that I'm going to send but I'm sending it to my cousin who was able to pay me back with the items that she sold from the first package that I sent. I hope the second package won't cause any trouble. I told my older sister about it already and she's fine with it because she doesn't want to sell the items that I want to send. But I'm sending some presents for her in the package too. It was funny though coz I want to do business with my sister but she told me that she doesn't want to go house to house visit to collect money for those who get the items in installment basis. She said that she might kill somebody if they don't pay her back. haha Oh well, I want to help those who help themselves and help my business too. So I am giving rewards to those who work for me. They deserve it. But to those who complain and mad for not receiving any gifts, they have to find a job, go to work and earn so they can buy what they want because they are healthy and not lame.

PS.
Not all are that bad though, my sister said that it depends on the person coz her boyfriend's sister from Malaysia is sending package to her family and they don't fight for that. Good to hear that though. I wish families in the Philippines won't expect anything from family members abroad and be happy if they receive something.

8 comments:

desperateblogger said...

i can say that greed happens because of want. you see, i know some people who are well-off and can actually afford all the stuff that they want to buy, local or imported. but because of greed, they do the same thing... get what is not theirs.....

Michelle said...

I agree with you, there are people who likes to get something that doesn't belong to them anymore and they are not ashamed to do that. It's just too bad if we have family and relatives who are like that coz it only cause trouble. Thanks for the comment desperate blogger. :)

Nova said...

Your friend’s sister is right. There is different kind of people on this world, some who understands and some who were greedy and kept on complaining no matter how much they already get.

In my case I haven’t experienced it, but since I got a sister in Manila and sometimes when someone comes home she bought present for everyone and put names on it, that’s one way of giving present to everyone para walay mag mahay in the end and they wont get pissed off for like this and that.. I mean they should have to think that they never NEVER gave you the money to buy those stuff so they can’t and don’t have the right to complain because they are the ones who were be given.

Maybe there are just some people who grows us totally greedy person, that’s no good, and you have the right to give it to someone you TRUSTED THE MOST para imong tanan nga present will be given to the one you wish to give it into.

Hayyyyyyyy.. people just can’t be satisfied for the gifts they receive/ for what they can get all they do is keep on complaining for the money whom they never put sweat on it to have it.

Michelle said...

jeff and nova: thanks for the comment girl. usahay lagi maglibog ko kung magpada ba ug dili kay basin unya ug naay makalimtan or di kaangay sa akong gipada nga mahiubos ug magbagotbot. bisan tuod ako amiga moingon nga di lang magpada sa gibati if ever naay reklamo sa uban pero di man jud siguro nato malikayan nga mahiubos sad ta labina ug ang gipada gipaningkamutan ug tigom. hehe mao na nga akong gi negosyo style aron ug naay magbagotbot, at least naa sad ko ginansya. in short, wa ko maalkansi sa pagpada bahala na ug magbagotbot ang uban. :)

Anonymous said...

in my case what i dont like with my mom is she is not greedy! when i sent her or give her pasalubung especially chocolate! nako ipamud-mud ba naman sa kapitbahay! ano ba mamang ahihihi wala nang matira para sa brods and pamangkin ko...
yah it depends some people are really greedy and some are not, malas if you sent it and let the greedy one in the family distribute it kay dili gyud ma distribute...

Michelle said...

jana: nah, nasobraan ra sad diay ka manggihatagon sa imong mama pero adto lang sa laing taw manghatag. haha it's hard to trust somebody even in your own family so now im experimenting of what's the result of sending balikbayan box to different individuals whom i thought i can trust.

Anonymous said...

nice one michelle. and wow! you can write! -- Tata of Mailag.

Michelle said...

tata: thanks for the comment and the compliment. nice to hear from you again. :)