Remember the word: “Pasalubong”

Pasalubong is the Filipino word for items that tourists purchase to take home and give away for their loved ones.

Since Dabawenyos — the business-savvy in particular — are riding the tourism hit waves, lots of so-called Pasalubong Outlets are scattered throughout the city. From foods to crafts and clothing, the city has an endless supply of locally produced items that make for interesting gifts and giveaways.

Not surprisingly, food products are on top of the lists of popular pasalubong items. Durian candies have long been staples on tourists’ buy-lists, and demand for these products have remained high even in recent years. These candies can be bought in specialty stores scattered throughout the city and even in some malls.

Other popular food products usually targeted by tourists are Mangosteen bars, Pomelos, Durian jam, and many more.

Among non-food Pasalubong items, the most popular ones are the Tiboli crafted Tinalak and Muslim-inspired Malong. These are hand crafted fabrics that are popular for their mesmerizing color and artistry.

The easiest way to find these items is by going to Aldevinco. It is actually a large shopping center that houses even smaller shops and located not too far away from Marco Polo Hotel and the Ateneo College Campus. Most of these items are reasonably priced, and sellers are known to give discounts to people looking to purchase items in large quantities.

And finally, another popular Pasalubong is the Bisaya t-shirt. This is a brightly colored shirt highlighted by humorous Visayan wordings. If laughter is the best medicine, a Visayan t-shirt should be in your First-Aid kit.

T-shirts about the Kadayawan Festival are also wildly popular among tourists. These t-shirts are available in malls and stalls whole year round, not only during the festival itself.

Of course, the items mentioned here are just some of the hundreds of Pasalubong idea possible. Needless to say, many more items out there are just waiting for you, the Davao traveller. So better prepare your budget when coming here because with so many interesting items for sale, you’re going to have a really hard time choose what to buy. And I’m not even kidding when I say that.

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This article is contributed by Ramesh Dataya. Ram is a Web-professional and freelance writer based in Davao.

This entry was posted under Travel Services.

Article Tags: Aldevinco, gifts, pasalubong, Shopping