5 Unusual Pasalubongs from Cebu

written on March 8th, 2018 by Monica Villarica

Cebu has always been known as one of the country’s top tourist destinations. Whenever it comes to pasalubongs (gifts to bring back home), we already know to look to Titay’s for Rosquillos, Islands Souvenirs for fun touristy shirts, Tabo-an for smelly and delicious dried fish, and to so many more that have become institutions in their own right.

However, the city has grown exponentially and has so much more to offer now.

Here’s a list of brands and places you can gift along side your rosquillos and danggit:

Island Girl 

@islandgirlph

islandgirlph.com

Island Girl boasts beautiful handcrafted bags and accessories made out of natural and indigenous materials in the Philippines. Originally conceptualized in Cebu, this brand can now be found in numerous stores in and out of the city.

List of their stores

Anthill

@anthillfabric

Anthill brings us to a whole other level of fashion. This textile company is working to preserve and sustain the local weaving culture by incorporating it in their contemporary and zero waste fashion designs. Their wide array of products range from upcycled sandwich bags, earrings, to beautiful panyo dresses. They’re definitely a must-visit when in Cebu!

Pedro Calomarde St. cor Acacia St. Gorordo Avenue,  Lahug, Cebu City

Zerothreetwo

@032cebu

Zerothreetwo.com

Zerothreetwo is a lot of things. It’s an online magazine, a clothing line, and a digital marketing agency. Their main goal is to tell stories. Check their clothing line, you’ll find their lookbooks all have back stories to the designs. A personal favorite of mine are their Puso Dad Hats. If you’re not quite sure what puso is, here’s their lookbook. This hat design is iconic to Cebu and you’ll find that a lot of their merchandise represent the Cebuano or Filipino culture one way or another, making it a favorite for Filipinos who have moved to other countries.

List of stockists

Queva by LoCA (Leave of Cebuano Artists)

@quevabyloca

Queva by LoCA is an art community made up of hundreds of Cebuano Artists. They sell paintings and even do self-portraits and other commissioned work. This is a great option if you want to get something unique to bring back home.

Where to buy: Grid Pad and Creative Campus in Talamban

Uke Hub Kafè

@ukehubkafe

Producing great guitars is one of the things Cebu is known for. Uke Hub Kafe, a small coffee shop along the airport road, is slowly changing the game and is shifting the spotlight to ukeleles too. Here you’ll find good coffee and food along side handcrafted solid wood ukeleles made by The New Susing’s Guitar. They even have some that are painted on by local artists making for a beautiful piece to play with for the serious hobbyist or something fun to display in your home.

Stall 3, Mactan Arcade, Airport Road, Barangay Ibo, Lapu-lapu City.

Next time you’re in Cebu, try something new and check these brands and places out!