With the Philippines relaxing its local travel requirements, it’s revenge travel season! We may not be able to see any Philippine festivals just yet, but there is plenty to see, such as beaches, mountains, and so on. And if you’re going to travel, it’s just Filipino tradition for you to bring home pasalubong to your loved ones – any ideas?
Well, if you want to know what pasalubong to buy from the Philippines, you should know that it will depend on where in the Philippines you went to. That means each item you bring home will always be different. That’s the beauty of this country – it’s so diverse!
Let’s take a look at some delicious pasalubong ideas you should be on the lookout for. These are some items that you can be sure your family and friends will enjoy – and so will you!
What is pasalubong?
Okay, so you might be wondering why any trip to the Philippines or around the country involves you as the traveler bringing home something from your trip to your loved ones.
Well, according to Wikipedia, this tradition of buying pasalubong is of great cultural importance for Pinoys. It can strengthen the bond between you and your immediate family.
And if you think about it, it does make sense – wouldn’t you appreciate getting your favorite Pinoy snack or treat from a loved one? It means they were thinking of you while they were away on the trip!
Of course, there’s a deeper significance. What is it, you ask?
Well, when you give Filipino souvenirs, you show that you’re glad to reunite safely with family and friends. And if you’re a parent, just think of how much your child will appreciate getting a pasalubong item! It will add to one of their many cherished core childhood memories.
Oh, and while pasalubong in Filipino culture is a tradition, it’s not a requirement. Therefore, you have no obligation to bring home any pasalubong gifts. You might, however, have to deal with slightly disgruntled relatives and friends, depending on their personal behavior.
A quick disclaimer before we proceed
So while this blog is about Filipino pasalubong ideas, this is not a comprehensive list by any means. This isn’t any official top “10 pasalubong from the Philippines” kind of list. After all, we’re not an authority on tourism, nor do we have any statistics about what really the top favorite pasalubong of Pinoys are.
Also, do take note that for this particular blog, when we’re talking about Filipino pasalubong ideas, we’re only talking about Filipino food ideas only. After all, we ARE a food-related company. Check out our courses here.
So yeah, as much as we think that a barong Tagalog, a toy jeepney, various arts and crafts items, and stuffed toys are great, we won’t be talking about them in this blog.
And finally, the things and places we’ll be talking about here will be limited to what we have already experienced. But if you have any Filipino pasalubong ideas that you feel we should know about (as well as places you think we should visit), let us know in the comments! Maybe we can add them in the future as we update this blog.
Clear? Okay, great. Let’s proceed to the ideas!
What are the popular Filipino pasalubong ideas to look for?
Here we go! Take note that these ideas and the locations are not in any particular order.
Besides, we don’t play favorites when it comes to delicious stuff!
One last reminder: before buying, it’s best for you to find out the shelf life. That way, you’ll know when the ideal time is to buy. If you buy too early and it spoils, you won’t be able to take it home to your loved ones, right?
Luzon’s Filipino Pasalubong Ideas
- Antipolo: Visit Antipolo for its famous cathedral and suman! Antipolo sells a lot of kakanin, but suman is probably the most popular one. Eat it with coco jam or sugar for the best taste!
- Baguio City: Baguio is known for its cold weather. But one more great thing about Baguio is that it has plenty of options for Filipino treats to bring home! Ube halaya, ube jam, strawberry jam, peanut brittle, choco flakes, and Benguet coffee beans are all possible pasalubong from Baguio.
- Ilocos: Ilocos has plenty of sights to see, like Paoay Church and the La Paz Sand Dunes. Even the city of Vigan is a sight to behold. And speaking of things to behold, the Ilocos region has plenty of delicious pasalubong such as empanada, bagnet, and longganisa. These are some of the best pasalubong from the Philippines, if we do say so ourselves.
- Tagaytay: Tagaytay is also known for its cool weather – and for buko pie! It’s such a famous treat that there are many shops in the area claiming to be THE original buko pie. Whoever started it, we’ll never really know, but we’re thankful they did!
- Palawan: Palawan is known for its beautiful beaches and amazing rock formations, but in terms of food, it’s also known for cashew nuts or kasoy. 90% of the total supply of kasoy is found here. Don’t miss out when you visit!
- Bicol: Visit Bicol and see Mt. Mayon and the Caramoan islands. Don’t forget to get some pili nuts! Enjoy the soft and crisp nut with a crunch that will melt in your mouth, making it one of the best Filipino snacks you can take home as a pasalubong.
Visayas’ Filipino Pasalubong Ideas
- Cebu: Cebu is one of the best places to go to for a great mix of tourist spots, nightlife destinations, beaches, and other natural sights. Cebu is also known for lechon! Many restaurants there already offer frozen lechon for easy transportation to your next destination. Aside from that, you should also take the chance to buy some sweet and delicious dried mangoes as well as dried danggit and dried pusit in the wet market.
- Dumaguete: We first encountered Dumaguete as a stop going to a different island. And we were pleasantly surprised that it was home to some famous and very delicious sans rival and silvanas! You should definitely home Dumaguete silvanas and sans rivals if ever you pass through here.
- Bohol: Bohol is known for tarsiers and the famous Chocolate Hills, but it’s also associated with delicious ladyfingers or broas: light, sweet, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits! Get a more legitimate broas experience when you’re in Bohol by not getting them from malls but from stores specifically in Baclayon.
- Iloilo: Iloilo has plenty of historical landmarks and super friendly people. One pasalubong you should look for here is biscocho, a Filipino twice-baked bread that’s coated with butter and sugar. It’s a really great sweet snack!
- Guimaras: Guimaras is an island famous for its sweet mangoes which are some of the sweetest in the world. Enjoy and remember to take some home!
- Leyte: In Leyte, you’ll get to see where General Douglas MacArthur landed when he came back to the Philippines during World War 2. You’ll also get to see the San Juanico Bridge – another impressive sight. But most importantly, you’ll get to try some chocolate moron! Who needs chocolate bars when you have this native snack?
Mindanao’s Filipino Pasalubong Ideas
- Davao: Davao is famous for a lot of things. One of them is the durian fruit and the many things you can do with it, such as durian candy and durian ice cream. Another pasalubong gift you can take home is chocolate. After all, Davao is known as the cacao capital of the Philippines and for exporting its chocolate to the world. Yum!
- Cagayan De Oro: You’ll usually go to Cagayan de Oro for its adventurous white water rapids, but don’t miss out on pasalubong ideas such as pintos or binaki, a corn cake delicacy, as well as pastel bread, a Camiguin delicacy that’s a sweet bun filled with yema.
Final words about the Philippines’ pasalubong ideas
And there you have it – some Filipino pasalubong ideas for you to check out the next time you travel. Again, this isn’t a comprehensive list, but we’d love to make a part 2 of this! Comment below which destinations we should go to, and what pasalubong we should get from that place, okay?
We look forward to hearing from you!
Oh, and in case you’re already craving some of the pasalubong, check out our courses here. Enjoy our selection of pasalubong recipe classes, especially if you’re having a hard time traveling. Let your taste buds do the traveling in the meantime and have a delicious time!
Speaking of buko pie as a Filipino pasalubong idea…
Going to Tagaytay or Laguna is generally easy when you live in Metro Manila, but what about if you live further away? Say, a plane ride away?
You’re going to have to spend a lot of money for some “pasabuy” services, and also face a long waiting time to boot.
And even if you can access Tagaytay, do you really want to face heavy traffic as well as expensive gasoline and toll rates?
Well, if you don’t, don’t worry – you can still get your hands on this popular Filipino pasalubong WITHOUT having to go far. How?
By enrolling in Chef Jimbo Panadero’s latest class: Bakery-Style Buko Pie!
That’s right! Sign up for this class and you can make this iconic pie that’s a favorite pasalubong for many Pinoys in the comfort of your home! You’ll learn Chef Jimbo’s signature recipe and techniques for making this delicious dessert!
You’ll also get other tips and tricks, like a buko pie’s shelf life and how to store it. The last two are especially important if you plan to start a food business in the future.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up at The Bailiwick Academy, enjoy some buko pie that will taste straight out of your neighborhood bakery, and save money by not having to do “pasabuys” anymore!
And you never know, your family and friends might start buying from you!
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Keep coming back to The Bailiwick Academy blog for more kitchen tips, tricks, and much more!
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