Sending gifts is one of the many ways in which an OFW or overseas Filipino worker could communicate and show their care for their loved ones back in the Philippines. Other than just calling or chatting, an OFW would usually want to show their longing and their love by sending in gifts to their family in the Philippines. Today, this process of sending gifts have been made easier through the use of online shops. Different online shops based in the Philippines provide a way for Filipinos to send gift Philippines easily, conveniently, and fast. But before the use of the internet, OFWs would usually send packages back to the Philippines containing multiple gifts and items. This package is commonly called as the Balikbayan box. The use of Balikbayan box became popular when OFWs first used these over-sized boxes to contain different gifts, and more particularly items regardless of whether those items can be bought cheaply in the Philippines, such as non-perishable food, toiletries, household items, electronics, toys, designer clothing, or items hard to find in the Philippines. This is also the reason why the box is called "Balikbayan", literally meaning "returnee's to one's homeland box". Balikbayan boxes weren't only used for OFWs returning home. The box also became popular as a way to efficiently send gift Philippines. Part of the attraction of the balikbayan box is economic. If the items were sent individually or in smaller boxes through postal services, the cost could be significant. The tradeoff is a long transit time by container ships, typically taking several weeks, and the lack of a solid delivery date. This is where online shops became popular as a means to send gift Philippines. Online shops, particularly with those based in the Philippines, can provide faster means of delivering one's gift to their families. A Balikbayan box would usually take 3 weeks to 1 month before it arrives compared to online delivery services that would only take 2-5 days, depending on the kind of gift it would be. The only drawback of online shopping is that the items are limited only to those available in the Philippines, unlike if an OFW would send their gift through a Balikbayan box. Usually, online shops are only used as a way to send gifts for special occasions such as cakes for celebrating one's anniversary or sending foods and other gifts for birthdays. For more information visit to our site at http://www.myflowerdepot.com