I sent 2 balikbayan boxes last year before my husband (fiance at that time) and I went back to the Philippines to get married. We were charged around P4,000 for custom taxes!
1 box was full of wooden roses (1,050 pieces) that we made as souvenirs for the wedding, along with a bunch of wedding magazines etc and the other box was just an assortment of used and new clothes, shoes, books, bags and other stuff.
We ended up paying it as there was no other choice.
