About Balikbayan Buddy
Built by a Filipino who gets both sides.
One place to find the services you need as a Filipino in the US.
Manila roots. New York home.
Frank Barros
Founder & Author
I’m a Filipino-American who grew up in Manila and currently lives in New York City. I go back to the Philippines often—it’s still home in a way that’s hard to explain to people who haven’t grown up between two countries.
I’m building Balikbayan Buddy as a one-stop directory for Filipinos in the US. The goal is to bring businesses and everyday services into one place, so you can find what’s near you, understand your options, and stay connected to home. Wherever you’ve settled, I want this to be a useful place to start.
I’m also the founder and author of Expat Guide Philippines, where I write about living in the Philippines. Both projects come from the same perspective: growing up there, living here, and wanting useful answers without the fluff.
The purpose
A home base for life abroad.
The vision is a directory you can turn to for the practical needs of life between countries. Balikbayan box shipping from the US is live in five metros. Immigration lawyers are live in Los Angeles County after a State Bar check. Tax preparers are next, one city at a time, once each has enough checked listings to compare. Lawyer pages are not legal advice and not a referral service.
Where things stand
Starting small, building outward.
The first category covers balikbayan box shipping from five US metros. Listings come from public company pages, with box prices shown where published. Confirm rates and opening hours with the shipper. FMC and BOC records are not human-verified. Immigration lawyer listings come from firm pages plus a State Bar of California licensee check and an EOIR discipline check. Report a correction if a fact is wrong; the record stays tied to its source.