OK, it’s getting to be a real prime travel time up here in the Philippine Northland. The rainy season is nearly gone, we’re moving into the cooler ‘Ber’ months and the Christmas carols are all playing merrily in the malls. Indeed, its a great time to travel anywhere in the Philippines … just make sure to consider in your plans that the period 15 December through 15 January is a really peak travel time … availability goes way down and prices go way up … so plan accordingly.
You can consider my title today as a very important Tagalog lesson if you didn’t know what it meant, first had. Don’t worry, there won’t be a test … Ano is “what”, Mo is “your” and Pasalubong? You mean you really didn’t know?
Pasalubong pasal´ubong n. a present (usually given by one arriving from a trip
So quite simply the words are asking, what is your gift? The text is on a huge sign over the main exit of our local SM mall, it’s actually an advert for a line of baked goods often purchased as gifts, reminding people as they leave that they really shouldn’t go visiting “empty handed”.
Pasalubong is a very Filipino thing, it’s really bad form to visit anyone except your closest family without bringing something along. Really it’s a very strong custom all across Asia … in Japan or China, for example, you go on vacation, you bring back a gift for everyone else in your office … to do otherwise is really bad manners.
So how does that apply if you are visiting here in the Philippines from, say, the US? basically, bring a gift for everyone you plan to meet. And some extras. There are always cousins and classmates and such who weren’t thought of in advance. Now of course if you don’t know whom you are going to meet, well of course you can’t buy in advance, but those of you who are coming here to meet people should really pay attention. I have seen a lot of unhappiness and at times even anger flare up over this very uncomplicated custom. I am not a Filipino and not an expert, so use my advice with caution, but it’s pretty much worked for me.
Don’t Overspend: These sorts of travel gifts are expected to be inexpensive. You do not have to buy every woman on your list a pearl necklace (which would be really dumb anyway since the pearls likely came from here, cheap). Even more importantly, giving people an expensive gift is not a smart thing to do in most cases. Remember that many folks you will meet are not well off. Giving them an expensive gift may make them feel inadequate and insulted because they can’t “return the favor” in any way equally.
It may also define you in some folk’s minds as a “bastos” (rude) or hambog (hamb´og adj. proud, overbearing, boastful, arrogant). Many Americans in my experience fall into the trap of equating how much you care with how much you spend. Caring and respect do not equate to cash value. (Remember too, that even folks in the US who are moaning over gas prices and crying over how much their 401K portfolios have lost are rich compared to most Filipinos. The lowest Social security retirement benefit in the US is equal to about what a cabinet secretary in the government gets here, so you are ‘rich’). The mark of a truly rich person is, s/he can avoid making others feel conscious of his/her wealth.
It should Smell like America: If you have ever had the pleasure of watching a family here, especially one you are a part of open a balikbayan box from the US, you may very well hear the phrase, often spoken with squeals of delight by the children .. amoy Amerika … literally … “Smells like America”. Usually this exclamation is heard just as the flaps of the box are opened. Indeed, the inside of the box does smell like home to me, even as a short-term resident here. Sp don’t deny people the simple pleasure of something from your home country. I’ve heard a lot of Americans express ideas like, “Hey, you can buy the same things in a supermarket here, just bring a few bucks and go shopping when you get here.”
Well of course you can do that, but it then just resembles a commercial transaction, not something special. I highly recommend you bring gifts from home … especially if there is something well known near where you live … “I love New York memorabilia or Disney World souvenirs or San Francisco tourist trap items. The more it is unique to where you come from, the more it seems to be appreciated, in my view.
Suggestions: Ball point pens, letter openers, refrigerator magnets or other “trinkets’’ from your home town. T-shirts with local logos and slogans or (great idea for some of the special folks on the list) with their name imprinted. ball caps, cheap purses or wallets (don’t forget if you chose this option you must put some money in it … else it’s bad luck for both the giver and the receiver). Maps of local attractions, those postcard album thingies, Cheap toy cars o\r trucks with obvious US signs and logos, glitter nails or nail polish for the girls, souvenir scarves or other fashion accent items, brooches, badges, lapel pins, as long as they are home country identifiable. Cheap stationery sets, especially if there is something “American”identifiable. School supplies in general for school age kids.
Hard candy … avoid chocolates, especially filled ones, even if requested They can make a huge mess (reported by one who brought cherry filled chocolate pudding in his suitcase that was cherry-filled chocolate candy when purchased 😉
And books, did I mention books? Many Filipinos are avid readers and this points to another place where we Americans are rich and so seldom notice. There are virtually no public libraries in this entire country and what book stores there are have limited stock and are expensive . Books, from children’s books, coloring books, teen story bocks, up to adult mysteries or even history (think WW-II) will always be appreciated.
Well that is likely enough on this subject for today. If you are worried about carrying all this stuff?
Remember that airlines are tightening their baggage allowances in many cases, but most Americans pack way, way, way too many clothes. Much better, in my view, to bring pasalubong and make children smile is a lot more important than extra socks, undershorts and hankies. You can always find a place to get laundry done cheap while you’re here, you may never get another chance to make a first impression.
Great article! From someone preparing to come home in less than 3 weeks, you can bet my luggage is 30% personal effects and 70% pasalubong.
Quote: "It may also define you in some folk’s minds as a “bastos” (rude) or hambog (hamb´og adj. proud, overbearing, boastful, arrogant)"
This is true – but don't forget – sometimes you get "kuripot" – also. Haha. I think this is because they expect you to be rich, and when you give only "cheap" pencils, which are plentiful and cheap here in the Philippines, you might be branded as "kuripot americano". :))
It is true, this is a very Asian tradition. My Norwegian family is sometimes so amazed at what I bring over for them. It is not common amongst them, and just by looking at their prices there, I am not surprised at all.
PS I love this gravatar thing – but don't be fooled, I removed all the wrinkles!
@ Ellen, thanks for the comments. yes, I may hacve seemd to err too far on the cheap side … I am, after all, a charter memeber of the Philippine KKK … no, not the hate group, the association of Kalbo, Kuripo,t Kano. My DW already told me that if any guy wants to bring pearls for all the girls, then who am I to tell him no. Touche' and point well taken.
I'll retreat a little and say, make the gifts sensible and proportionate to the realtionship. And I didn't advocate bringing ordinary pencils, but the idea about ball pens is tlaking about unique ones that are souvenirs of unique tourist places.
But fellow travelers, take heed … don't be _too_ kuripot. In the end, remember, 'sup to you 😉
@ Mia, thanks for vsiting and commenting. Indeed your luggage proportions seem sensible. When it's a Filipina returning to her family however, it's not really pasalubong, in our family it's called biling and it is usaually picked off long, long lists that relatives, especially the pamamkins have been sending all year long.
It's usually better to fill and send a BB box 30 days or so before your trip, then you cna fill requests more adequately without trying to strain to carry the luggage or getting hit with overweight charges. besides, there is nothing like a box for that amoy Amerika thrill 😉
Hi Dave, I had not heard about this before. Thanks for the tip. Guess I'll be packing lighter next time!
Thanks for this article about Posalubongs Dave. It clarifies some points and confirms other facts I have learned about visiting friends in The Philippines and bringing a posalubong.
Some friends at times asked if I could bring a specific item as a posalubong and at first I wondered why since the same thing is available there and they are all made in China anyway why not buy it there. Your article has clarified the point I eventually realized, it may not be the item itself, just the fact that " It came from the USA " although still for me, if I can find things that say Made in USA on them ( few and far between these days ) it means more to me to give someone something like this, " if " possible.
So many there asked me if I could bring them Chocolate I wondered if there were some kind of chocolate shortage in the Philippines. It does not have to be " fancy " chocolate such as a Whitman Sampler, almost any chocolate will do. In my experience from traveling in the UK for many years, I know that there are different recepies for making chocolate in different parts of the world, even the same brand name of chocolate such as Cadbury is made to appeal to the taste of what is accepted and known for the taste of chocolate for the country it is manufactured to be marketed and sold in . UK Cadbury and USA Cadbury ( made under license by USA Hershey Company ) each have their own distinct and different taste. This indicates that chocolate from the USA may have its own distinct flavor which may give it a different taste from chocolate made to be sold in The Philippines.
I have found the " Half Pound " ( recently reduced to 7 ounce ) size Hershey Chocolate Bar ( $1.39 + applicable sales tx at Walmart , a bit more elsewhere ) makes a great posolubong for many of my friends there and yes, they " really " do like it. I always check the date codes on perishables to make sure they are well within their " Best Before " date. As soon as I get them home I put each one in a zip-lock type plastic bag to seal in that " American Air " and to prevent taste contamination from anything else in the luggage ( such as already worn clothes etc LOL ). Also it is something that is actually Made In USA .
I have also had requests for certain books that you think would be easily available there, especially books used for University or continued education that people seem to have difficulty finding there easily. I would have thought in cities with so many higher or continuing education schools these things would be easily available, you have confirmed that many times they may not be.
My golden rule for packing anything to be shipped ( Postal Service, UPS, Fedex, etc. ) or luggage to go on a trip somewhere, " If it can be dropped from a level of 5 Ft. onto a concrete surface without damage to the contents then it should survive the trip. Another point to consider especially these days if Airport Security feels they have to inspect the contents of your lugage will they re-pack it the way you had it ? Try to make it as easy and as accesable for them to do this and your contents should still survive " Luggage Handling " which is both automated and human. Luggage handling automation does not read those " fragile " labels on packages or luggage LOL..
" It smells like America " , I can appreciate that. For many decades electronic goods sold in the USA have been manufactured in Asian countries and I have always noticed the " foriegn " smell in opening something made in Asian countries when un packing it and removing it from its sealed plastic bag so i can appreciate the comment " It smells American " even if the person opening it has never been here. I have never been to Japan, China, etc. but I know that smell of opening up electronic goods made there LOL ( another reason I put posalubongs / gifts in zip-lock type bags as soon as I get them home from the store here ).
After visiting The Philippines I have a much better understanding of why people there think all Americans are " Wealthy " but to the average American, we are not. What many people there do not realize is the cost of living here, compared to there, when I have talked about some of the everday costs of things here, my friends there " gasp " at the cost of certain things. Yes, our paychecks are bigger but our cost of living is a lot more as well. Still however by comparison, if we have hot water in our house, we are wealthy, have a full sized ( regular to us ) stove for cooking we are wealthy, have our own car (s) we are wealthy, even having your own PC and internet at home we are considered as wealthy. At times I have almost felt insulted by people there commenting that I must be wealthy, although after visiting there I now have a much better comprehension of how people there arrive at this conclusion and I don't feel so insluted by what people say about Americans are " all " wealthy . I really wish people there could have things better than many of them do.
Thanks again Dave for this great article about Posalubongs. It has clarified and verified many things for me.
Another item to consider concerning posalubongs or personal items, it is always a good idea to review " Customs Guidelines " as they can change from time to time regardless of what country you are comming from or going to. Here is a link to " Customs Guidelines " for The Philippines. Remember these are posted as guidelines and are subject to change at any time.
http://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/index.cfm?GP…
there are many other web pages with Customs guidelines and regulations for Philippine Customs as well.
Hello Bob New York – I will tell you why chocolates are favorites here – because they are very expensive. My husband has a sweet tooth and chocolates are his favorite. He claims he eats them for energy. I buy several 200-250 gram bars whenever I can find them at less than US$3 equivalent each, but that is very seldom. Most of the time, they are close to $5 each. I found some swiss bars that were cheap because they were manufactured in Malaysia. But other than that, everything else, especially Cadbury, is expensive.
Thanks for the link to the Philippine customs – after reading that, it reminded me of the copied DVDs and CDs.
Dave:
I always try to keep the Pasalubong simple and light. It helps that we are living here now and that Becky is home every other week or so, therefore, we usually need to bring it only when transiting through the Middle East (Chocolates there are formulated to better stand the heat… even Swiss Chocolate!), or if she accompanies me on a trip. (I have paid more than one excess baggage fee). As a side note: Now that her brother and very good, very pregnant friend are in Abu Dhabi and we are here, I am dragging green mangoes back every time I transit!
Hi JohnM – I am surprised that they allow green mangoes through customs! 😯
HI Ellen,
Yes, I have come to the realization that there in The Philippines, chocoloate is something extra special for people. I have not had time to look in any of the stores there last time and take note as to the shelf prices there although I am definitely going to do that on a future visit to see what is available, pkg. sizes, country of manufacture etc. and the price as compared to the average persons purchasing power there. ( How much chocolate can be bought for one hours work at an average job in Ph ) With the recent China Milk scandal I would be somewhat reluctant of buying and eating chocolate in that part of the world unless I verified with the manufacturer the origin of the ingreedients.
On my return home from The Philippines last time however I did look around in some of the shops at Manila International Airport. Not so much at price as these shops are in " the high rent district " and charge the maximum for just about everything. I was more interested in viewing some of the available brands and products available as this was the first time I had ever been to The Philippines. I noticed on some of the Cadbury Products, I believe they were manufactured in New Zeeland, under license from Cadbury UK. the home of the Cadbury Brand.
Yes, Cadbury is expensive compared to other brands but I have been able to make first hand comparisons of some of their products for both the UK and the USA markets. I wonder if there is " store Brand " chocolate sold in The Philippines that may sell for less although be equally as good as name brand.
I did not experience any melting problem with the chocolate I brought with me there although I had it well packed. Each item in a zip-lock type bag, and they were boxed within a box inside of my luggage. I also had 3 of them in my carry on and experienced no melting or deterioration that way either. Additionally I broght 2 " Whitman Samplers ( fancy chocolates ) and there was no problem with those either.
Thanks so much for clarifying why so many ask for chocolate as a posalubong. Comming from the USA, it is something easy to buy, easy to pack and transport ( depending on the type of chocolate and the packing methids used ) and reasonable in cost comapred to a lot of things. From your comment I know for sure how well the recipients will really enjoy it.
The point here really is , it doesn't matter how big or small is the pasalubong, the fact that you remembered and took the time to get someone a gift is a gesture that is well appreciated in Filipino society. Even the smallest stuff makes us smile. (^__________^)
Beautiful article Dave! You have captured the complexity of pasalubong although you are not a Filipino. Heck, even some Filipinos do not get this either! There's not a day that I do not think and plan of my first balikbayan there and always w/ this ( concerns of pasalubong) in mind.
A pasalaubong when translated to english as a "gift" falls short of its real concept. It's not really a gift, I'm afraid. A gift is given out of generosity. Pasalubong is to some degree, an obligation on the part of the one giving. If he doesn't care what the world might think of him, he doesn't need to give pasalubong. But if he thinks that he'd rather not like to be thought less then he might succumb to the pressure. Giving is always about the person doing the giving. Either we get pleasure from it or we feel compelled to do it.
Hello Roy, you are so right there. If I don't bring any pasalubongs, I feel real GUILTY! I feel that it is an obligation to give everyone. If I give to one, I must give to the other. Never ending. Most times, I just concentrate on the kids. The joy on their faces when they get the pasalubongs is priceless.
Hello Bob New York. After staying 4 years in NZ, I end up noticing their products on the shelves here. There are lots of "milk" products you can find here from NZ and Australia. However I cannot find my favourite chocolate brand – Whitaker. 🙁 There are local chocolates here – anyway, I call them chocolates, but I think they are cacao. You can buy them in the public markets even. We normally boil it and mix oats (and egg) with it for breakfast. For some it might seem strange to eat sweet stuff for breakfast, but for Filipinos, this is common, i.e. bibingka, suman, etc. It is a treat to get these fresh from the public market early morning.
Wow, I am so happy to see all the comments here and to gan so much knowledge from them. New York Bob has graciously given me permission to reuse his coments in a firther post on the subject. A cuple quick takeaways:
I too am mightily suprised that acrrying raw fruit can get through customs almost anywhere … it's a big no-no and for very good reason in almost all countries.
carrying any sort of pirated works, such a smovies, songs etc. is very dnagerous these days. Customs in many countries are on the lookout … a stack of hmne-burned DVD's is anopen invitation for them to search further. In the US theyaprticularly watch for this regarding people returning from the Philippines and China … some folks even get criminally prosecuted or, if foreigners, sent back at the POE. Pirated DVD's of all dexcription are radily available in the Philippines but that doesn't make them safe … buying one could be the most expensive PhP 100 you have ever spent..
US Customs now hasd authority to examine any laptop carried ny any visitor or citizen entering the US .. no probale cause/search warrant is needed. Think twice before carrying your laptop and if you do, make darn sure you cna account for what is on the hard drive. The "American Patriot Act" essentially eliminates the US Constitution … Jefferson must be spinning in his grave ….
The chocolate here that is comparability to US brands, such as Hersey bars is much more expensive than in the US. And remember, that $1.99 quoted as a Wal*Mart price? More than a day's pay to many hard working people here.
Lastly I would like to thank Karen for a great summation. No matter what you bring, it's much more important that it be from you rather than its origin or price. Hallmark cards I think still uses one of the most masterful marketing slogans ever dreamed up … when you care enough to send the very best … the accent is on the 'you' and the 'care', or so Dave opines.
Dave (and Bob): You are right… Fruit usually is a problem through customs, but I seldom have any problem with it in the Middle East, or, oddly, returning to the RP, for that matter. Not sure as to why. I always, always, check the fruit box on the entry card if I have it so that I "declared".
The strictest I have seen is in Australia. I once saw them hassling some people because their kid had a Mars bar in his hand and they did not include it as "food" on their form. I even declare chewing gum there. I understand why the regulations are there, but sometimes it becomes silly.
Funny as to Philippine Customs… With all my entries and exits, I have never been stopped, searched, or etc. even once.
Here is a humerous item about declaring food. I have made many visits to the UK and have developed a taste for certain products not easily available here.. Although this is not one of my favorites, I had to bring some back to the USA to give to some friends for a good laugh. There is a desert in the UK known as " Spotted Dick " ( do a websearch on it you will find plenty of info on what it is ). The best description I could easily give you it is supposed to be like a suit pudding, sometimes with rasins, sometimes not. It comes in several varieties. On one visit a while back I found it was available canned and branded by Heinz (UK). Now, in the USA and maybe other parts of the world " Spotted Dick " may be understood to mean something entirely different and I'll leave that to your imagination.
Upon returning to the USA from the UK, I know what kind of food items are allowable and what kind are not, no problem I only bring in what I know can be broight in and I declare that I have food. The first customs officer asked me what I had so when I got to the food part I mentioned, chocolate, wheatabix breakfast cerial, Digestive Biscuits, and " Half a dozen canned spotted dicks " . Now you can imagine the look on the customs officers face , he had never heard of that before ! I then described to him what they were and why I was bringing some back as gag gifts for friends here LOL. The first customs officer was a man. He directed me ( as they always do ) to Aggricultural Customs.
Now, this time there were two young women there as customs officers. Well, what could I say ? I gave them the same routine I had given the first customs officer and they just could not keep a straight facce and said " What ???? "
I offered to let them see one or all of them if they liked but they just took my word for it and passed me through. That was a real classic !
It comes in several varieties, fresh made, frozen, and canned. It is also a popular item on the Menu Boards ( a chalk board or blackboard ) in many English Pubs.
Here is a link to a web page showing the canned version as I brought home with me from one of my visits to the UK. There are other web pages on the internet with a full description of the pudding and recipies as well should anyone care to make one themself.
http://www.britshoppe.com/hespdipu10oz.html
Excellent post on pasalubong. Indeed anything associated with USA is appreciated. Since my wife has a big family in Marinduque, we shipped our pasalubong about six weeks in balikbayan boxes, prior to our departure from Sacramento. As of today, we have already shipped 5 balikbayan boxes, so we do not have to carry it in our luggage. Even for cheap gifts, it still cost us shipping ( $65 per box from US to Marinduque), but the joy that we observed when we give our relatives a pasalubong is worth more than the money we spend. As they say, you can not take your money in your grave, but a simple gift to friends and relatives are memories that they can not forget.
Hello, Mr. Starr!
An interesting article especially since Christmas season is fast approaching and the notion of Pasalubong naturally comes to mind especially for people here in the Philippines.
For me, it’s a very timely article, too, because just last weekend up to Tuesday, I was in Hong Kong and Macau for a tour and some adventure tripping (BTW, Try “sky-jumping” off the Tower of Macau! You’ll love it!) I’m an IT manager here in Ortigas Complex, Pasig City and I directly manage 60 systems engineers in a multi-national company. So you could imagine how could I ever bring pasalubong for each one of my staff without hurting my wallet and credit cards! Not to mention of course, my own family of four members, some relatives and the two expats in my company.
Well, I just bought them chocolate biscuits from HK Disneyland (They don’t have to worry, they’re safe to eat!) and some native Hong Kong/Macau delicacies. For my family, I brought them some keychains and trinkets and specialty T-shirts from Hong Kong “tiangge” (open-street stores like Divisoria in Manila).
Also, whenever I visit our headquarters in Japan, I always do bring a bag of goodies from the Philippines like “Pulvoron” (powdered milk and nut cookies), some cashew tarts, mango sweets or even fish jerky. On one occasion, I brought a bottle of Nata de Coco from the Philippines for the Japanese ladies, and they LOVED it! You can really say it’s an Asian thing or custom because here in our Philippine office, we receive the same favor from our Japanese visitors. By the way, the Japanese word for Pasalubong is “Miyage”, both of which exactly have the same meaning, I think, simply because such custom in present in both Filipino and Japanese cultures. The words both translate to “souvenir” or roughly “gift or present ”.
Anyway, for most Filipinos, we really do not mind the monetary value of the gift itself. You are right to say that it doesn’t have to be too fanciful or expensive if ever you want to bring Pasalubong for your family or friends. Maybe just special.
It’s true that some Filipinos might expect a costly Pasalubong especially if you just came from overseas, but generally, we “expect” or look forward to something original yet not necessarily cost a lot of money. This is the key to a great Pasalubong (especially for Filipinos). It doesn’t need to be expensive as I mentioned already, but original (or to some extent, special) to the place you have been to. So as you said, bringing them a pearl necklace from say, the US, may not be a good idea since we do have a lot of pearls already here in the Philippines-and much cheaper. Especially for young Filipinos, an originally U.S.-made Resees peanut butter candy bar may do (for me, at least!). But, bringing chocolates to a tropical country can be troublesome indeed.
When I came back home from my tour of HK/Macau, and gave them my Pasalubong, some of my staff even thanked me through e-mail. It was a good feeling to know they appreciated it even though it’s not worth much money. And, as we Filipinos always say, “It’s the thought that counts!” Mabuhay! Cheers!
Hello Proud Pinoy … and anyone else I haven't me/responded to yet. thanks for all the great responses, I've learned a thing or two and I think some others have too.
Just for clarification: i am not "mr. starr", that was my father and he's passed on now. I'm not "Sir Dave" either, that was some foppish British snob who was more interested in titles than reality. (unlike "Sir Ringo", I'm happy for fan mail). Just plain old Dave works fine for me … unless you're an attorney serving me with a subpoena ;-(
JR, you .have certainly hit the nail on the head as far as it being the thought rather than the price that counts. When I was living in Japan I made a number of trips to China. I had about 30 people working for me so it would have been a real burden in time and luggage space to be bringing individual gifts back every time … but in Japan "omiagI" is even more important than the passalubong tradition here. It is a must. Solution? I found a great shop at the Hong kong airport with some 2 kilo flat cans of very delicious Chinese hard candy … 2 kilos, 4.4 pounds, is a _lot_ of pieces of hard candy … fruit flavors and very bright colors, etc. One of my Chinese freinds claimed the place was charging 10 times what the candy was worth in a village market, but it was something like 6 bucks for the can and a ribbon to carry it with along with my breif case as carry-on. worked fine for me.
What a hit those tins of candy were in the office. When I left the last time on my way back to the states, one of my Japanese employees said, "Oh, Starr-san, we will miss that wonderful candy you always brought us." Nice to be remembered for something, at least 😉
Good Day, Mr. Starr! I mean, Dave!
Don't worry, I'm not an attorney or anything like that, and I'm not suing anyone!
By the way, there is one more important difference in the giving of gifts between Japanese and Filipino cultures, isn't it? In Japanese gift giving, it is very important to give or receive the gift with both hands and even with a slight bow. When I first went to Japan several years ago and met the Department Manager there and handed him out my Pasalubong, I was surpised to see him with his both arms stretched towards me and even bowed his head that it made me embarrassed a bit (I was holding with only one arm.) It was really a touching experience and hence, I do the same whenever appropriate. But honestly, I find it too formal and solemn indeed. Well, by contrast in Filipino norm, anything goes and a simple "salamat" or "thank you" may do. Don't forget to smile, though, if you really mean it. 🙂
This is not just meant for the visiting foreigner but for the Filipino that may have forgotten the joy of receiving a pasalubong. The smell of America (Amoy Stateside) is always the best part of the pasalubong process… well until I one gets that really yummy KitKat 24-pack wrapped with a NY Yankee shirt… bliss!
"it's the thought that counts" means much to the person receiving the pasalubong, it makes them feel special and appreciated. And in my many "visits" (home coming) to the Philippines, chocolates are always a hit so pack lightly… but pack full of chocs!!!
Thank you Oliver and everyone else who have made such useful comments. I've learned a lot. It really means alot to me and I appreciate it.
Sweet things, such as chocolates, are always well-appreciated, coz the Filipinos have such a liking for sweet things. I'd recommend wrapping the chocolates in newspaper to avoid making a mess.
Japanese are also keen on giving pasalubong (omiyage in Nihonggo). To them, it's a sign of respect to the people you are visiting.
Hahahaahahah! So true!… It's so funny how you got everything down to the core! Hahaha.. I can't stop laughing. Well, I'm a Filipino, born and raised, and I am aware of all these stuff. I am like that also and I really like to see someone like you who understands it. Coz sometimes I don't even fully understand it myself! Hahaha!… I'm laughing again..=D..and I'm going on vacation in the Philippines (Marikina, which was flooded, sadly) for a month during Pasko and Bagong Taon, which I really look forward to because I like all the energy over there so much! In my case, I find that the my generation (i'm like 21) is more into like perfumes, chocolates, shoes, etc. My friends want Victoria's Secret for pasalubong! It's pretty expensive for my standard but I saved up money because I love them! Thank you for making me laugh tonight! And for making me smile! Have a super day!
Christopher, thank you for that comment. Indeed, sir, it made my day for sure. It's very difficult for a foreigner, especially one as outspoken and opinionated as I am. to find the right balance between writing in away that is true to his own beliefs and at the same time appealing to those vastly different in beliefs, nationality, age, ATBP.
And understanding? ha, if you knew how little I feel I actually have sometimes…. your words indeed buoyed me up, thanks.
Indeed Marikina was one of the very badly hit areas … my prayers are that your family and freinds are able to get back on their feet quickly.
And how could I have forgotten to recommend Victoria's Secret 😉 For the people that would "fit" on your gift list … fantastic choice … their products are light weight and fit readily even in an already overstuffed suitcase … take a hint guys.
My father asked if I can bring salmon back home. Can I bring meat, fish, or fruits to the Philippines?