Cebu’s top 10 pasalubongs: Summer tourist influx spells profit for local entrepreneurs

CEBU, Philippines - As Cebu braces for the influx of tourists this summer season, local entrepreneurs likewise prepare themselves as souvenir and pasalubong items in Cebu has been an essential part of the travel experience among local and foreign tourists, promoting the diverse mix of locally-made products and helping entrepreneurs and the local economy.

The spending potential of local residents and travelers has improved the businesses of local designers and exporters of delicacies, fashion accessories, souvenir items, guitars among others.

Known for being the tourists’ preferred place for vacation, Cebu also has a lot of locally-made souvenirs, export and delicacy products to offer to both local and foreign visitors. be and p for local and foreign tourists who are visiting Cebu a g 30% are items that come from other regions in the o

These pasalubong or homecoming gifts are available in many parts of the city and province of Cebu. These areas include the Taboan Market, Tabo sa Banay, Lapu-Lapu Shrine, grocery and department stores and many other souvenir and delicacy stores.

One-stop souvenir store

The One Town One Product Store Tindahang Pinoy in Mandaue City’s Bridges Town Square displays and sells a wide variety of Philippine export quality products to domestic buyers and tourists.

It offers pasalubong items such as native delicacies, wicker and coco products, fashion accessories, capiz shell decors, hand-painted linens, handicraft and many more.

Cebu Gifts, Toys and Housewares Foundation (Cebu-GHT), Inc. manages the store which is a project the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Tindahang Pinoy helps small entrepreneurs and established exporters showcase their food and non-food products to the tourism market, said Dr. Elias G. Tecson, DTI region 7’s chief on Business Development Division.

Products made in Central Visayas make up the 70% share in the store and the remaining 30% are items that come from the other regions in the country.

Tecson said they are closely working with tour guide operators and local tourism promoters to make TP a regular stop for bus tours.

“It’s an automatic stop for local and foreign tourists who are visiting Cebu,” the chief said.

Meanwhile, Tecson is calling on more small entrepreneurs to join this year’s Sandugo Trade Fair in July in Bohol.

The fair aims to enhance the competitiveness of local manufacturers of delicacies and other OTOP products.

“That’s why we continue to conduct labeling and packaging development training to manufacturers to better improve their products,” Tecson said. “How can we promote our products if we don’t improve it?”

July is the month for micro, small and medium enterprises.

The FREEMAN has compliled the top pasabulong and souvenir products in Cebu:

1. Dried mango and Otap. The two and other known Cebu delicacies are still the top pasalubong choices among out-of-town travelers and even locals, Tecson said. “Number one gihapon ang food products nato,” he said. “Our delicacies are really unique and in-demand to tourists.”

2. Other delicacies. Other in-demand Cebu products include Rosquillos, Chicharon, Mazareal and Torta. Each municipality and city in Cebu has its OTOP product. For instance, Argao’s One Town One Product is the famous Torta with Tuba.

3. Danggit and other dried seafoods. The Taboan Market in Cebu City sell different types of buwad or dried seafoods which are mostly bought in bulk. This flea market offers the cheapest prices of the famous danggit, buwad pinikas, squid and a lot more to dried fish retailers and domestic visitors. These are also available at delicacy sections in many grocery stores but are priced relatively higher.

4. Wicker products. Wicker includes a variety of grasses, vines and other plants that are woven into baskets, chairs, tables and other furnitures. OTOP Store Sales Clerk Gema Paras, 39, said wicker-made baskets are one of the saleable non-food items in the shop. These baskets, she said, come from the different parts of Cebu province and other provinces in the region. 

5. Guitars. Cebu has been known for its finest guitar industry, producing instruments of world class quality. Aside from Lapu-Lapu Shrine, Cebu guitars and ukuleles are also sold in the city’s Carbon Market stores. A guitar sells at P800, the cheapest.

6. Fashion accessories. Accessories include bracelets, necklaces, rings, earings, anklets among others. Gema said locals prefer buying native accessory items because of the affordability. The items sell at P20 - P500, depending on the design and size.

7. I Love Cebu T-shirts. Souvenir t-shirts are not only available in pasalubong centers but also in shopping malls and other retail stores, answering to the demand among Cebuanos and foreigners.

Other shops allow customers to personalize the design printing their names on the shirt. The famous line, “I Love Cebu” has evolved into a promotional tagline for Cebu.

8. Keychains and ref magnets. Gema of OTOP Store said the guitar and “I Love Cebu” keychains are the most saleable and attractive to visitors, saying these serve as keepsakes to them for having visited the “Queen City of the South.” Other keychains are printed with photos of the famous beaches and tourist spots in Cebu and other provinces in the Visayas.

9. Handicrafts. Craftsmen from different parts of Cebu province are exibiting and selling their hand-made items in Tindahang Pinoy, showcasing their customary creativity and skill.

Sales Clerk Gema revealed to The Freeman that the OTOP Store get a lot of orders from abroad on their various native products such as hand-painted linens, capiz shell decors, wrought iron furnitures and accessory boxes. These products are made from bamboo, shell, vines, fiber and other indigenous materials.

10. Miniature figurines. Figurines of jeepneys, traditional ice cream pushcarts, dolphin, and bangka are the best sellers in TP. Most of these miniatures are manufactured from barangay Mabolo in Cebu City. (FREEMAN)