Pasalubong: More Than Just a Tradition

Oct 25, 2021

Culture is what makes a certain group its identity and for us Filipinos, there are a lot of practices not only just defining our certain uniqueness but also binding our family, friends, co-workers, and anyone who is dear to us. Apart from being known to be hospitable to visitors and guests (foreign or local), Filipinos also have this specific tradition for those who are departing or traveling away to a different place.

“Pasalubong” is a well-known tradition for Filipinos. It is a well-thought gesture to bring something like a gift from the place where a certain visitor or a returning love one journeyed from. The best pasalubong are gifts and delicacies that are famous or only produced in a certain place that is not available in the area of the recipient. The receiver is either an immediate family, close relatives, and even close neighbors in the barangay. 

For other countries, the usual sendoff greeting is commonly “Safe travels!”, “Bon voyage!”, or “Have a nice trip!” while here in the Philippines, it is customarily “Pasalubong ha!” or “Dala ka ng pasalubong!” which means make sure to bring something from your trip as a returning gift. This might appear demanding to other cultures from other country but for us Filipinos, it is a way of saying to really return home safely or for some, they say it to cover up the sadness of departure and hope even if it is a tree branch or a bottle of sand as long as the traveler brings it with him/her when returning home. 

Pasalubong tradition also means that the traveler, despite being away, has been thinking about his/her loved ones at home and shows that the traveler remembers them during his/her trip. Pasalubong is one way of letting to experience a piece of the travel of their returning love ones. 

Now with the pandemic, what most of us miss apart from visiting some of the most beautiful places here in the Philippines are the delicacies a certain place can offer and we are dying to travel again to bring home some of the best pasalubongs that make places in the country its individuality and unique culture. With high hopes to travel again, here are some of the best and well-known delicacies to bring home as pasalubong in different areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.  

Baguio

As a tropical country and having a summer season almost throughout the year, Baguio City is a sought-after travel destination by Pinoys. Its cold weather is a vacation one must experience at least once a year and it is often heard every time a friend or a loved one who is traveling to Baguio the words, “Dala ka ng strawberries!”. As the only place abundant with strawberries, Baguio is known for its strawberry jams since fresh strawberries are hard to package. 

Another delectable inside a jar is the famous Ube Jam of Baguio City. Its purple color and nutty flavor are recognizable in almost every dessert in the Philippines. Some of these desserts are Halo-halo, ube ice cream, ube hopia, bilo-bilo and even as plain ube jam, called ube halaya. 

Cagayan de Oro

As the gateway of Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro have a reputation for its Pasalubong centers around the city. Dominating CDO’s pasalubong centers are the ever delectable pastel bread. Originally from the island province of Camiguin this pastry is delivered in the city to conveniently sold to travelers and visitors entering Mindanao and those who will pass by CDO. A fluffy bread filled with the sweet yema represents the Higalaay (Amity) the golden friendship is all about. 

With a rising popularity, muron and syvannas are now slowly taking over the pasalubong center in CDO. As one of the awardees of Lifestyle Best Deserts of 2015, Nanay’s Cholengs Muron is a must-try. It is a rice cake similar to a suman packed with a variety of filling and is native to the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. Another desert known by Kagay-anon is Pane e Dolci’s Sylvannas. This favorite food Pasalubong is picking up popularity within the surrounding municipality ever since it started selling and should be recognized by the rest of the Philippines.

Cebu

Being crown as the queen city of the south, Cebu is truly has a lot to offer especially its famous delicacies. When we talk about Cebu, the initial thought in mind is their famous crunchy Lechon. As the national food for Filipinos, the Cebuanos are the best in roasting a whole pig skewered with a large stick rolling above a pit filled with charcoal. This staple is rampant almost in every celebration such as birthdays, graduation, weddings, but never absent in every fiesta. It has become the main course of this certain festivity. 

Other than being the best in Filipino national food, Cebu also offers a certain “hinam-is” or sweet snacks. Otap, pintos, and the ever delicious masareal are Cebu’s common pasalubong. Otaps are usually made with four, shortening, coconut, and sugar. It is known for its brittleness and oblong puff pastry with sugar on top. Pintos are like tamales but sweet and known as an afternoon snack. It is made of ground corn mixed with milk and margarine. And lastly, if you are traveling in Cebu you must never forget the delicious masareal. This delicacy is made commonly with white Gabi (colocasia esculenta) finely-grounded with sugar and compressed flat and sliced in rectangles. 

The kinds of Pasalubong mentioned above are just a few compared to the variety of delicacies from other parts of the Philippines. Some Pasalubong may be offered by other places here in the Philippines but most of the time delicacies varied depending on the way of made and produced by the designated local. 

We may have different delicacies and food to offer but Filipinos always have this unified intention to bring happiness, gratitude, and a stronger bond to our loved ones through this Pasalubong tradition. 

Vista Residences is the condominium arm of the country’s largest homebuilder, Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. that offers ready for occupancy and pre-selling condominium projects in Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Ortigas, Baguio, Cebu, and CDO that are strategically located within major cities, in close proximity to premium universities, transit oriented locations and developed business districts.   

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