It was Los Angeles, California Filipino community activist Bobby M. Reyes who first humorously described this traditional container to me as "Filipino Samsonite." Yes, it certainly looks a lot classier than your traditional box that took its wings from the long-running homecoming program — Balikbayan program — of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

The Chicago-based chain of Forex Family of Companies with world headquarters at Alexandria, Virginia has introduced the Forex BAGahe last year and described it as the "global version of the Filipino tote bag or bayong." It is made up of a "sturdy polyethylene material."

Carmela Labog, a family doctor from the Philippines, who took a new career path as co-owner of the shipping and money remitting franchise, Chartered Forex on 3845 West Montrose Avenue in Chicago with her husband, Edwin Labog, says "our BAGahe will certainly be a hands-down alternative to the Balikbayan box."

She said, "BAGahe is flexible and water repellant," meaning, if there is a trickle of rain, its contents will stay dry. It was certainly a compelling need that triggered the fertile imagination of the think tank behind the Forex Family of Companies headed by its founder and chairman emeritus Jaime N. Carino.

According to Forex primer, "BAGahe will supplant the corrugated carton Balikbayan box when Filipinos overseas will send goodies to their families and relatives to the Philippines. It will be used to reach and touch folks in the Philippines."

Carino and Chit de Jesus, chief financial officer of Forex, agree, "its novelty would surely be too tempting for Filipinos to try." They are referring to Burberry-like, that is, Old English/Scottish plaid design that would give Pinoys some sense of homespun nostalgia. It may be deceptive in looks but it measures more than half the normal size of a large Balikbayan box. And it can carry as much as 150 pounds. Normally, each airline passenger is allowed two check-in luggages free of charge. Each baggage or Balikbayan box must not exceed 62 inches in total dimension (Height x Length x Width), and no more than 70 lbs. in weight. Occasionally, airlines will allow an extra free check-in luggage (3 totals) as part of their promotions. Each child has the same baggage allowance as an adult. BAGahe’s polypropylene-polyethylene material contains a plastic cable seal and is very light and foldable. The polyethylene is the one used in bagging rice. Because it is very sturdy, BAGahe can be used and re-used by recipient in the Philippines when they travel around the country.

The BAGahe will be given away to Forex customers. But each recipient will be asked to fill up a form, indicating his name and telephone number so that Forex can monitor its durability, although each BAGahe is certified to have undergone a rigorous "torture test." The two-tier price of a loaded BAGahe is in Metro Manila; in Luzon and in Visayas and Mindanao.

Forex is one of the companies helping the Philippines receive an estimated US-billion in annual remittances in cash and in goods, more than half of this amount coming from the United States. It has offices across the US and in 19 other countries.

In 2004, Forex estimated that some 300,000 Balikbayan boxes are sent each year from the US to the Philippines. From Balikbayan warehouses in the US, the boxes are taken to Los Angeles by rail; sent to Manila by sea; and then to the recipient’s front door by van, motorbike or fishing boat lugging a total of nearly 9,000-mile distance.