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Pasalubong (Tagalog language, "something for when you welcome me") are homecoming gifts brought for family, friends or neighbors in the Filipino people tradition of bringing home gifts from a travel destination. A pasalubong can be any gift or souvenir, and is usually given by the traveller upon arriving home.
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.
In , pasalubong is also referred to as tinabuan in Cebuano language and sinugatan in Hiligaynon. Both of which have the same meanings as the Tagalog word. The Philippine English acronym B.H. (for "Bring Home") is also frequently used.
Pasalubong, in general, is a "gift for a relation or friend brought by a traveler returning from a trip", and could also refer to "anything given as a gift to someone on the way home to a certain place.""Tagalog-English Dictionary by Leo James English, Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, Manila, distributed by National Book Store, 1583 pages, page 1167, It could also mean "homecoming gift" or any present which signifies appreciation to the services rendered by the recipient.Flavier, Juan M., Doctor to the Barrios, The Workers: The Science Missionaries, Chapter 3, page 71.
The pasalubong usually consists of native delicacies or indigenous things from the region or country where the traveler came from. For example, a vacationer coming back from Negros might bring home some piaya to his family, while someone coming home from Hawaii might bring . The length of time the person is away is inconsequential. A pasalubong can be given coming home from work each day to returning to one's hometown after decades of being in another country.
The gesture of handing out pasalubong emphasizes the gladness at reuniting with one's loved ones and the relief at being back home safe. It is also a sign of thoughtfulness. While pasalubong are not compulsory or even expected, failing to bring pasalubong for someone can sometimes be perceived negatively. 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.
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, especially as the different islands and regions of the Philippines can have different languages, local customs, and cuisine specialties. The pasalubong serves as a 'sample' of another region's specialty, bringing different Filipino cultures closer together. They can also simply be gifts likely to be appreciated.
Unlike western gifts, pasalubong are not wrapped, but are given as is. The person who gives the pasalubong can also freely partake of the gift.
Pasalubong can be as mundane as fast-food take-outs, toys, snacks or fruit given to children below 10 years of age by a parent coming home from work. 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. Unlike traditional pasalubong, these are not usually given in person but are sent by air freight.
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