Wanted: A return to Pinoy 'lambing'

When it comes to feelings, Filipinos are believed to be one of the most expressive beings in the whole world.

 

We have no qualms about showing our friends and families how much we care and love them. Whether it’s a grand gesture like throwing surprise parties and whipping up sumptuous dinners, to small ones like cheering them up with sweets, even if there’s no special occasion.

 

Sadly, social media might be changing this culture.

 

“What we noticed is that especially for the yuppie generation, minsan na lang nila i-express ‘yung lambing nila. For example, kapag birthday, ite-text or minsan Facebook posting na lang,” Toblerone Philippines’ brand manager Fren Lagman said in an interview with GMA News Online.

 

To bring back the Pinoy “lambing,” Toblerone Philippines organized a storytelling session last November 6 at the Atrium of Eastwood Mall, where well-known personalities shared their fond memories of sweetness.

 

For columnist and entrepreneur Tweetums Gonzalez, Toblerone reminded that a lifting mood and spirit can be a chocolate bar away—especially if this comes from a loved one.

 

She also reminisced her teenager days, when boys gave chocolates to girls they had crushes on.

 

“I noticed that the red boxes always came from the boys I didn’t quite like, “Tweetums quipped, to the audience’s laughter.

 

Actress and blogger Saab Magalona confessed she was a rather raucous and temperamental toddler.

 

“I had this bad habit of biting whoever got in the way and my favorite chew toy was Maxene,” Saab said.

 

To cure her tantrums, her mom “prescribed” her eight hugs a day. Soon, Saab mellowed and from nibbling Maxene’s arm, she turned to taking a bite of her favorite chocolate instead. That calmed her down.

 

RockED founder and writer Gang Badoy told a story she has never shared with anyone before. It’s a bittersweet story about how Gang ended up dating a boy, whom a schoolmate used to date.

 

“One day I got hospitalized and the girl who liked the boy went to see me. And so quietly she stood by my bed, and ended it with ‘take care and take care of him ha.’ And as her voice trailed away, she placed a bar of chocolate beside my bed. It was one of those big moments,” Gang said.

 

What happened with the boy, everyone was curious to know.

 

“My relationship with the boy didn’t last. It didn’t even last a month after that incident. But that’s not the point of the story because he never gave me chocolates. She did,” Gang said, punch-lining her story she entitled “With just a chocolate bar and her heart.”

 

Gang wondered if young people nowadays still take on gestures as brave as that, “or do they just post online how they feel?”

 

For their part, Toblerone has recently added thought sleeves into their chocolate bars with sweet messages like “I love you,” “Congratulations,” and “Thank you.”

 

To take sweetness to a higher level, Toblerone announced that for the first time in the Philippines, they are launching the limited edition Toblerone oversize gift bar, a giant chocolate good enough to satisfy the sweet cravings of an entire crowd.

 

This is part of their promotions this holiday season. Lagman added, “There are only a hundred bars in the Philippines and these are not actually for sale. So all they have to do is visit one of our gift hubs in 30 malls in Metro Manila, buy P100-worth Toblerone bar and they get a raffle entry.”

 

The winners will be announced on December 15 and the chocolate bars will be personally delivered to the winners’ homes.

 

“Or if they want to surprise a loved one, we can deliver that to him or her instead,” Lagman added.

 

That’s a big way to make “lambing” to your special someone. –KG, GMA News