Pasalubong

Pasalubong (Tagalog, "[something] for when you welcome me") is the Filipino tradition of travellers bringing gifts from their destination to people back home.

[3] Pasalubong are also associated with the balikbayan, Overseas Filipinos returning to the Philippines, and may refer to items that migrant workers bring home to their families, friends, relatives or even non-relatives that they feel especially close with.

[3][5] The tradition of giving a pasalubong is of great cultural importance for Filipinos as it strengthens the bond with the immediate family, relatives, and friends.

[10] Particular importance is given to gifts for children, and the anticipation of getting pasalubong from a parent coming home is often a cherished childhood memory for most Filipinos.

[15][16] By bringing gifts with regional significance (e.g. things that cannot be acquired locally), the person coming home can also share part of his travels.

It similar to the western concept of souvenirs except that it is not meant for personal remembrance but for sharing the experience with others,[17] especially as the different islands and regions of the Philippines can have different languages, local customs, and cuisine specialties.

[3] Pasalubong can be as mundane as fast-food take-outs,[20] toys, snacks or fruit given to children below 10 years of age by a parent coming home from work.

[5] It can also be as exotic as a balikbayan box filled with gifts from a foreign country; it is an adaptation of the idea of the pasalubong for the Filipino diaspora.