There has been an increasing trend of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) job hiring internationally, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. An estimated 2.2 million OFW workers have been hired for jobs abroad between April and September 2019. But they never cease to have a ‘home’ back in the Philippines and miss its various aspects badly, most importantly their family and friends. But one more aspect that leaves them truly longing for home is the vast selection of Filipino food.
It may be tough to find Filipino food brands commercially available in supermarkets overseas, even as plenty have ventured abroad to spread their delectable tastes. Whether they are candies, biscuits, soups, or condiments, there could be many food items your relatives and friends working abroad must be missing. The good part is that there is something you can do about it. You can ship them their favorite food products and let them experience a part of their home in a foreign country.
However, when shipping food items abroad for OFW, you need to know what can or cannot be sent, and how to pack the products adequately. Shipping them through a reliable international parcel delivery provider like DHL Express means you can also rest assured that your package reaches them safely and speedily.
Top Pinoy foods that OFW miss
The top Pinoy foods that OFW miss the most and those you can quickly ship over include:
1. Biscuits & chips
Some biscuits and snacks you can export from the Philippines include Cream-O, OTAP, Biscocho, BongBong Delicacy Products, Goldilocks Polvoron, Toasted Mamon and Lengua de Gato Biscuit. Other local chips include Piattos, Banana Chips, Oishi, Jack & Jill, Mushroom Chips and Bucheron. There are also popular cornick items such as Boy Bawang, Chicharon and Dingdong.
2. Food powder
Many powder-related food products can be sent from the Philippines too, such as Ranchero Flavoring Powder, Knorr Powder Soup, Mik-mik Powder and Tang Powdered Juice.
3. Chocolates
Send your OFW friends and family a sweet treat, like Hany, Lala, and Curly Tops.
4. Candies
Add on famous Filipino candies to complement the chocolate treats – tamarind and dried mango candies can be easily shipped.
5. Nuts
Happy and Sugo are go-to brands for nuts, a perfect snack for any OFW to have while working.
6. Savory food
Aside from biscuits, chips, chocolates and candies, you can also send their favorite savory items like dried fish, toasted pastillas, instant noodles, Gourmet Tuyo and Vacuum Sealed Tipas Hopia.
7. Seasoning & spread products
Cheezwhiz Spread, Lady’s Choice and Lily’s Peanut Butter are some sandwich spread products to consider in your shipment. For seasoning products, go for the Magic Sarap seasoning granules.
8. Condiments
Some trending condiments in the Philippines that can be sent abroad to OFW are ketchup, Mama Sita’s sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce.