15 Souvenirs and Popular Gift Cards From Philippines - A Little Something For All

Philippines is a complete holiday destination. The physical beauty, cultural heritage, and shopping experience all together help the tourists to enjoy a memorable trip. One of the best ways to get a slice of your holiday destination back with you home is to bring a souvenir that reminds you of it. Philippines is a fantastic shopping destination because it offers a wide range of reasonably priced products. Also, one can choose from a balanced mix of modern and traditional items while shopping. Besides, there is no dearth of shopping outlets in this island nation. From malls to local retail shops, you can pick up the goodies of your choice. Here is the list of souvenirs to buy from Philippines:

Traditional Filipino Souvenirs

1. Filipino Pearls

Surrounded by the sea on all sides, it is no surprise that the white and golden pearls are one of the most sought-after items in the Philippines. These jewels extracted from the sea's depths are one of the finest in the world. The South Sea pearls are high in quality and affordable in price. Besides, the pearl market in the Philippines is teeming with various pearl jewelry, such as earrings, bracelets, rings, necklaces, and more. There is plenty of variety in color, shape, and size to shop for pearl jewelry that might look best on you or the person you plan to gift it to. Several celebrities too often prefer pearl jewelry from the Philippines!

Approximate Cost: The price depends on which piece of jewelry you buy. The cost may range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. For simple necklaces and earrings, the price may vary from 100-1500 PHP. Where To Buy: South of Manila in the province of Palawan there are pearl farms that produce and sell authentic golden and white pearls. Other places to buy pearls from are Resorts World, Ayala Center Cebu, Alabang Town Center, Abreeza Mall, and Greenhills Shopping Center in Manila.

2. Dried Mango

Not the most conventional souvenir, but the dried mangoes of the Philippines are truly irresistible and must be part of this list. These packaged delights are tangy and delicious for snacking at all times. A perfect gift for your loved ones who can also taste the fabulous flavors of the country. What’s more, it is a healthy, chewy snack and not too dry.

Approximate Cost: 50-70 pesos for a packet. Where To Buy: Dried mango packets are available readily in supermarkets, grocery stores and local shops.

3. Guitars

For music lovers, colorful guitars are a wonderful souvenir to bring back home. Filipinos enjoy their music and have a knack for playing the guitar well. And so there are many guitar manufacturing companies in the nation that sell different types of guitars. Besides, there are also handmade guitars and ukuleles that remind one of the lazy afternoons on beaches. Also, one of the best-known brands is the Alegre guitar which is authentic and of good quality. Though you can shop for the guitar anywhere, Cebu is particularly famous.

Approximate cost: The price of the guitar can range from 300 PHP to 30,000 PHP. Where To Buy: RJ Guitar Center (Manila), Guitar Pusher Superstore Cubao (Manila), Benjie’s Music Store (Manila), Lazer Music, Alegre Guitars (Cebu), and Susing’s Guitar (Cebu).

4. Ube Halaya and Jam

Ube is a purple yam that is boiled, mashed, and used in various sweet dishes in the Philippines. Though there are different joints that sell the jam, the one handmade by the sisters of the Good Shephard Convent in Baguio is the best. The jam can be added to cakes, croissants, pies, muffins, bread, and more. Also, strawberry jams are delicious and can be bought in addition to the ube halaya.

Approximate Cost: A bottle of Ube jam costs around 200-250 PHP.

Modern Gifting: Top 9 Popular Gift Cards

Settling in the Philippines hasn’t been entirely smooth for everyone. One of the early challenges for newcomers is finding a reliable way to make online and local transactions because they might not have a bank card yet. These gift cards can be used to make local and international transactions without needing a bank card. According to my findings, the top gift cards you can use in the Philippines include:

• Apple Gift Card: If you own an Apple device in the Philippines, you should definitely get an Apple gift card. It’s a one-way ticket to paying for anything Apple, including iTunes, the App Store, Apple Music, and Apple TV.
• Jollibee E-Gift Cards: Jollibee is a well-known fast-food restaurant in the Philippines. With over a thousand branches, you can easily get their e-gift cards and redeem them when you want to order a meal.
• Steam Gift Card: If you’re a gamer, it lets you buy games, make in-game purchases, and download software directly from Steam.
• Amazon Gift Card: Amazon is one of the biggest online stores in the world—and lucky for you, it delivers to the Philippines. You can buy any physical or digital product sold on the platform.
• Puregold Gift Cards: A puregold gift card is used to buy groceries and household items from the Puregold supermarket.

Souvenir Comparison Summary