When Roger and Cora Oriel, publishers of the Asian Journal newspapers began publishing Balikbayan Magazine in 2009, it was like coming home after years of living abroad.
“There was a sense of nostalgia and that is one of the reasons why we wanted to come up with Balikbayan earlier, we wanted to share to the mil- lions of overseas Filipinos the beauty of the Philippines, it was our love letter to the old country,” said Roger.
Indeed, and it became an unof cial slogan of the magazine and the people behind it—Love of country is back in style.
Balikbayan is the vessel to which the good, inspiring, and extraordinary stories about the Philippines is shared. From the beautiful landscapes of the country’s numerous travel destinations to the delectable and mouth-watering Filipino cuisine to the rich and colorful
history and culture of the Philippines— all of which are preserved on the pages of this bi-monthly publication which is now 60 countries and over 100 cities worldwide.
It has also become an outlet for local corporations and businesses who want to connect with the global Filipino market.Thousands of free copies of Balikbayan are distributed to Filipino communities all over the world.
In the Philippines, the magazine is available for purchase in major bookstores such as Fully Booked and National Bookstores, restaurants, and coffee shops. Balikbayan Magazine also partnered with Duty Free Philippines, the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and other agencies to promote investment, retirement, and travel in the Philippines.
Our team of writers and photographers have visited numerous spots in the country, from the best-sellers and constant winners of Best Island awards—whether it’s by Conde Nast or Travel and Leisure–like Cebu, Palawan, and Boracay to the emerging destinations such as Malapascua Island, Huma Island, Balesin, Batanes, and this new issue, El Nido.
And these are just a few of the islands Balikbayan has highlighted on its pages, there’s a thousand more, and that is what’s in store for the upcoming issues.
“We remain steadfast in our goal to help promote our country as a top destination not only for tourists, but for second- and third-generation Filipinos across the globe as well, along with every single one of the more than ten million overseas Filipinos that belong to the diaspora who are looking forward to coming home soon,” Mr. Oriel said.
