Metro Manila is also known as a shopping haven. Depending on the budget, shoppers can pick between luxurious department stores located in giant shopping malls or scour bargain shops.
Crafts of various regions and provinces have invariably found their way into Manila. Just take a look at the Filipiniana section of any department store, and you would marvel at the diversity of handicraft selection. There are malongs and brassware from Mindanao, hand embroidered pina cloth from Batangas, wood figurines from Paete, and all sorts of basketry products made from rattan, bamboo, vines and leaves. There are a number of stores which specialize in Philippine handicraft such as Tesoro's, S.C. Vizcarra, and Silahis Arts and Artifacts.
Haggling is the operative word when shopping at Manila's frenzied, frantic flea markets. Bargain-hunters will fall head over heels in love with the bargain basement prices of fabrics, ready -to-wear clothes, shoes and slippers, houseware and home decors and fresh produce.
Port Area, Recto, Binondo, Quiapo, Tutuban and Divisoria in Manila and Baclaran in Paranaque is the place to be for bargain hunting.
Port Area is known for its very cheap counterfeit items from China while Recto is famous for its cheap books and “second hand” (read “hot”) cellphones. The Greenhills Virra Mall in San Juan sells mobile phones and electronics at cheaper prices than those that can be found almost anywhere else (at least for genuine items.
Divisoria is the wholesale capital, selling everything from delicious food items to wedding dresses and just about anything under the sun while Tutuban Center, a modern shopping mall in Divisoria has hundreds of stalls selling RTWs, jewelries and home furnishings. Binondo, where Chinatown is located, offers a wide selection of ceramics and Chinese items while Quiapo is a mecca for Muslim handicraft. Baclaran for footware, RTW, gowns, bedsheets and curtains. Interesting items are sold at Silahis Arts and Artifacts in Intramuros and Quezon Bridge in Quiapo,
Big shopping malls in Metro Manila include the SM Department Store near the Manila City Hall, Robinson’s Place and Harrison Plaza in Manila; Power Plant, Glorietta, Land Mark and Rustans in Makati City; Shangri La Plaza, SM Megamall, Star Mall and Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City; Greenhills Commercial Center in San Juan; and Araneta Center, Marikina Shoe Fair, Ali Mall and Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City. There are a dozen of other large shopping centers in the metropolis. Credit cards are accepted in most shopping malls.
The Philippines is famous for pearls, hand-woven cloths, embroidered fineries, ready-to-wear and haute couture clothes, terra-cotta, porcelain, coral accessories, fabric, pineapple fiber shirts, pre-historic jars, brassware, earthenware, native handicrafts, wood carvings, bags, shoes, fine baskets, woven items, mats, tribal designs, Philippine furniture, Philippine native dress, home furnishings, crafted jewelry, watches, shell decors, office supplies, medical herbs and fresh tropical fruits.
