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8 Pinoy foods your OFW family & friends must be missing abroad
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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.

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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.

How to pack food products to send abroad with DHL Express?

To send food products to your OFW relatives and friends, you must pack them correctly. Otherwise, they can get damaged and become undesirable for consumption. Suitable packing material is crucial for shipping them safely overseas. 

Non-perishable items such as dry fruit, snacks, candies and biscuits can be shipped for longer durations without any cold packs or dry ice, which perishable items typically require. These products can be packed directly in a cardboard box with packing peanuts or bubble wrap to ensure they stay in place.

As more Filipinos are hired for jobs abroad, there has been a greater demand for such items to be delivered overseas. Sending care packages to family members of overseas Filipino workers with their favorite Pinoy foods is possible with the help of DHL Express, a reputable and trustworthy courier service. You can have the convenience of quick delivery and convenient packaging for your shipments with our DHL Express Easy service. Prepare and send packages with our Express Easy Boxes that come in various sizes and can hold up to 30kg of food packets. 

For smaller packaged items, you can also opt for the Express Easy Envelope which can hold a maximum of 0.5kg of items. Send food packages to your loved ones in 220 countries and territories and they’ll reach them in one to three business days.

Send your loved ones overseas their favorite food products through our international-friendly Express Easy boxes and envelopes. If you're an e-commerce business who want to dive into global food trade and cater to our overseas Filipino workers, you’ll benefit with a DHL Express business account. Get in touch to find out how we can help you connect more Filipino families, or simply open an account to get started today.