Shopping in Manila
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Street Market
Around Quiapo Church there are dozens of dubious apothecary stalls selling all manner of herbal and folk medicines, as well as amulets (carved stones and medallions believed to have magical powers). Showing admirable initiative, vendors will tell you that the 'Pampa Regla' potion is good for everything from weight loss to curing erectile dysfunction, depending on how you look. Langis Ng Ahas is literally snake oil - maybe.
The lively stalls around Carriedo St sell thickly padded bras, hardware, porn DVDs and just about anything else.
On M Recto Ave, in the direction of the harbour, are hundreds of stalls selling household goods and bale clothing.
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A
Robinsons Place
Shopping malls at times seem to have eaten Manila. Many are thronged on weekends as residents escape their jammed and steamy abodes for a walk through the air-con comfort. You can find a range of department stores such as Shoe Mart at most, and, depending on the neighbourhood, the selection of stores can be startlingly upscale. Most include a supermarket and food court.
Ermita and Malate are served by Robinsons Place. It's a vast place and it's getting bigger. Is this glitzy change from the broken pavements of Ermita good or bad? And does this point to a Makati-like future for the area? The hordes inside have voted with their feet.
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B
Marikina Shoe Expo
Easily the oddest collection of stores in Manila is at the Marikina Shoe Expo, a once open-air collection of discount shoe vendors. Some of the shops in this old single-level complex remain (with inventory unchanged since Imelda was in her prime), but now some of the storefronts have been taken over by an uber-hip assortment of kitschy shops and galleries who have discovered the cheap rent. There's a gallery, Blacksoup Project Artspace, a bookshop, Datelines Bookstore and a funky Italian café, Bellini's.
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Ortigas Center
Mall fans with Brobdingnagian fantasies should head east to Ortigas Center, which sits on the border of Quezon City, Mandaluyong and Pasig. With its dense concentration of shopping malls and high-rises, Ortigas Center has become Manila's second-biggest business and commercial hub. However, it's still got a lot of work to do to find its soul.
Here there are no less than four malls: Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Robinsons Galleria, The Podium and the the biggest one of all, SM Megamall.
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C
Ayala Center
You can buy authentic brand-name clothes in Manila for a fraction of the prices charged in Europe, Australia, Japan or the USA. Locals happily note that the designer stores stock this year's collections, so you won't have to worry about looking like last year's sensation. Look for them at Ayala Center, a vast complex of interlinked buildings, shops, hotels and enclosed malls, which at times seems to have taken over the entire town.
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Glorietta Mall
The main focus of the Ayala Center is Glorietta Mall is actually four malls (Glorietta 1 to Glorietta 4) under one cross-shaped roof. There are hundreds of mostly midrange shops and stores here. Certain areas are devoted to electronics, art and other specialities. There are dozens of restaurants at all prices.
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D
Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills Shopping Center is somewhat like a flea market, with stall after stall selling DVDs and brand-named clothing of questionable legitimacy. But snoop around and you’ll find quality antiques and the best selection of genuine pearls in the country.
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M H del Pilar St
Along M H del Pilar St in Ermita there are numerous shops selling paintings by local artists. The standard is often quite good and the subject matter varies (puppies and sunsets are faves), even though the artists turn these things out at an alarming rate.
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E
Bong Salaveria
Easily the oddest collection of stores in Manila is at the Marikina Shoe Expo, a once open-air collection of discount shoe vendors. One of these is Bong Salaveria, selling authentic retro 1950s and 1960s décor collected by a local film editor.
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Duty Free Fiesta Mall
South of NAIA is the Duty Free Fiesta Mall where newly arrived passengers can pick up cigarettes, chocolates, liquor, cosmetics, electronic goods, household appliances etc at duty-free prices. Grab a taxi, private car, bus, or jeepney to get there.
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Chunky Far Flung Gallery + Store
Easily the oddest collection of stores in Manila is at the Marikina Shoe Expo, a once open-air collection of discount shoe vendors. One of these is Chunky Far Flung Gallery + Store, selling figurines and other goofy toys including Astroboy gear.
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G
Balikbayan Handicrafts
This is the kind of place that pulls in tourists by the busload. The merchandise is of a surprisingly good quality, considering how much of it they have. The speciality is beautiful, glazed coconut dishware, decorative balls and other products.
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H
National Book Store
Starting out as a mere book stall way back in the 1930s, this is the mother ship of the Philippines' largest bookstore chain. Branches of the store can be found at major shopping centres in Manila, including the convenient Robinson's Place.
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Solidaridad Bookshop
Owned by the Filipino author Francisco Sionil Jose, this small but fantastic shop has a masterfully edited collection of both Western and Eastern non-fiction, international magazines, and hard-to-find Filipino history titles.
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The Podium
Just behind SM Megamall in the Ortigas Center is The Podium. Virtually every chain store and restaurant and fast-food joint can be found in this retail blight, which is as suburban as you can get in Manila.
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Fully Booked
Manila’s most comprehensive bookstore, with a great travel section and an outstanding selection of fiction and non-fiction. Other branches are in Bonifacio High Street in the Fort and in Mall of Asia.
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Popular Book Store
This eclectic shop sells new and used books. Titles range from Suzanne Somers' Get Skinny to Freemasonry and Its Etiquette to numerous academic tomes on Filipino culture.
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L
San Andres Market
San Andres Market looks like one big cornucopia of fruits including exotic guyabano (soursop) and durian. It’s a dark warren of treats ripe for exploration.
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M
Budji Layug
New takes on traditional styles are the theme at this serene showroom for one of the leading local interior designers. There's exquisite craftsmanship in the wood and rattan items.
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Carvajal St
Off Quintin Paredes St in Binondo is a small alley - Carvajal St - lined on both sides with stalls piled with fruits, sweets and freshly roasted chestnuts.
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Gateway Mall
In Cubao, the Gateway Mall has a large and glitzy collection of shops. Its real value is as an elevated transfer point between the LRT 1 and 2 lines.
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Central Market
North of Quiapo Church, along Andalucia St, the dingy Central Market, by the Manila City Jail, sells clothes, military uniforms, knives and hardware.
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Landmark Department Store
The Landmark Department Store in the Ayala Center is a delightfully dated place where you can get three hankies for your sweaty brow for around P30.
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SM Department Store
There are large supermarkets in the shopping malls. Biggest by far is the SM Department Store between Glorietta Mall and the Ayala MRT station.
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SM Megamall
Stretching over a kilometre, SM Megamall sprawls between two other malls in the Ortigas Center, Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Robinsons Galleria.
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