Every December, a great migration happens in Balayan, Batangas.
Flights from Milan, Rome, and Florence are full — not of tourists, but of kababayans returning to the motherland for Fiesta Season + House Reveal 2025.
The Balikbayan Entrance
They arrive with pasalubong the size of balikbayan boxes… because they ARE balikbayan boxes.
Inside: chocolates, perfume, designer belts, and enough Ferrero Rocher to start a small grocery.
And of course, their “airport outfit” is casual-but-expensive: shades the size of jeepney windshields, Gucci slides, and a handbag that could pay for your kid’s tuition.
Introducing… the “Humble” Home
The moment they land in Balayan, they make a casual post on Facebook:
“Home sweet home ❤️ Just a simple place to relax.”
Translation: a three-story villa with:
- Greek columns that look like they were stolen from the Parthenon
- A gate taller than your average coconut tree
- A garage with two SUVs, kahit one lang ang gamit
- And a front yard fountain na may imported koi fish na mas sosyal pa sa’yo
The Grand Tour
Of course, friends and neighbors are “accidentally” invited for a house tour.
It starts with:
“Pasensya na ha, maliit lang ’to…”
And ends with you standing in a bathroom bigger than your entire living room.
The walls? Italian tiles.
The chandeliers? From Venice.
The sofa? “Ay, imported din ’yan — from Pampanga.”
The Fiesta Flex
During fiesta, these homes are impossible to miss.
Gates wide open, buffet tables lined with every meat known to man, and an army of catering staff that looks like they could host the ASEAN Summit.
You walk in for a slice of lechon, and walk out with:
- 2 tupperwares of spaghetti
- A loaf of fruitcake
- And a vague sense that you need to renovate your house
Final Truth:
In Balayan, balikbayan season is part homecoming, part real estate exhibition, and part culinary Olympics.
And the rest of us? We just come for the food… and the low-key home inspection.