A visit to Manila cannot be complete without a trip to at least one of its shopping hubs which manifest a distinctively Filipino atmosphere: busy and bustling, but jovial, conventional, friendly and never impersonal.

One may opt to try the malls constructed to cater to everyone’s needs or try haggling for the cheapest finds in Manila’s popular bazaars.

With distinct shopping tastes, any traveler is given wonderful options on how and where to shop. For handicrafts shopping, try checking the Ilalim ng Tulay market, next to Quinta Market on Carlo Palanca St, Quiapo. If time does not permit you to go around the country, good souvenirs shopping can be done at SM department stores and also the Landmark. The essence of shopping in the capital city of Manila, however, cannot be seen in malls. The only place to do serious shopping is to go to Divisoria in Central Manila. Divisoria was, and still is, the wholesale shopping center, where most local and imported goods from nearby China and Southeast Asian countries, from dry goods to toys to perishable exotic fruits and flowers can be had at least a third of the price.

Another popular bargain area is the Greenhills Shopping Center where there is always an ongoing bazaar or flea market. Greenhills, especially Virra Mall, is known among local shoppers for its computer products, and Shoppesville, which has a comprehensive selection of clothes and bags and consumer items not only from the Philippines but also imported from Hong Kong, Korea, China and Thailand. 

Where To Shop