Pop Culture isn't so much as a store so much as it is a part of Alabang Town Center. This place is…read moreto Alabang Town Center as a district is to a city. I hope that analogy helps clear things up for you guys out there. Anyway, Pop Culture has a lot of small stores, one of them sells video game hardware and games. Most of them sell clothes for girls at a really low price point. Then there's a store that specializes in selling ipies, bongs, and rolling paper and other Rastafarian paraphernalia. It's interesting to walk down this part of Alabang Town Center because of just how cool some of the stores are. Most of them have forgettable names, but it doesn't make the place any less interesting. When I just window shop for the heck of it, I find myself strolling around this place even if it's just for a few minutes.

Do you sometimes feel like your limited budget is keeping you from enjoying a mall? That's how I…read morefeel often whenever I'm at Alabang Town Center and mostly everything I see in shops are out of my budget. Though with Pop Culture around, I finally have a place where things are of "within reach" on those days where I'm in a pinch. Pop Culture is that section of Town, beside the food court that's basically a small group of boutiques that sell a lot of good clothing, accessories, shoes, bags and whatnot. There's a Girl Shoppe by the entrance, which sells a variety of women's accessories, while the other stores inside have a lot of imported clothes from Bangkok and sometimes locally manufactured like Get Laud. Lots of Korean accessories too. What I love about Korean accessories are how dainty and quirky the designs can be. Most of the prices here are relatively cheap to averagely priced (around Php 100-450 for, let's say, a top) so there's surely something that fits every budget.

I am solidly as butch a bro as a bro can be butch (quick, say that fast ten times). I try to live…read moreas close to Conan the Barbarian as I can, including fur briefs, and I have no time for girly things, especially cute ones. I'm lying. I'm actually secure in my sexuality, and I have no problems with the more, er, girly aesthetic, especially in art. A'postrophe has, then, actually been pretty cool in my opinion. Hell, what would you call a place that attempts to sell a brass skull to you for five thousand pesos? Now a good friend of mine, whenever we go out, somehow finds her feet walking towards this place, and the first time this happened, her fear I think was that I'd be uncomfortable. I was totally at home, which may have freaked her out a bit, yes, but really, this place is cool. A'postrophe speaks is that off-kilter, reliable place for you to find that special accessory that would make a look just work (bear with me here), without looking like you rely on an ABS-CBN magazine for fashion (pro tip from a straight dude: girlfriend, don't. they're always one Coachella season late). Definitely buying that brass skull.

My siblings grew up playing tennis when Bonifacio Naval Station was still a Philippine Navy Base…read moreinside Fort Bonifacio. Every weekend, my father would get us out of bed, on to the car and in the courts as early as 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning. And Toby's was always our go-to place for tennis supplies...racquet strings, overgrips and down to tennis balls. Everything we every needed was always there, and in stock. The staff are attentive and even offer advice to your equipment needs. And the price is always reasonable and the products are of great quality. Of course, Toby's doesn't just stock tennis gear. You can also find items here for other sports or for fitness. I always make it a point to browse what's in store...often helps to see what's new with the sports I play, as Toby's stock is always up-to-date with the times. Don't look any further than Toby's for your sports and fitness needs...

Toby's Sports is probably the biggest store in Alabang Town Center. I mean, when the new wing…read morefinished renovation and this store opened, I was in awe. I don't think I've ever seen any sporting goods store that was as impressive as this one. They have good quality brands and stock almost anything you could possible ever need. I think every single foot of their wall is covered with a shoe, no pun intended. They have shoes from most of the well known brands like Nike, Adidas, Onitsuka Tiger, and so much more. Not just that, but they also have other active lifestyle brands like The North Face for example. It doesn't even end there. They have a lot of equipment that can help a person with their own personal gym. Weights are just some of the things that you'll find at Toby's.In a nutshell, if you're an athletic or active outdoorsy type of person, there's a strong chance that you'll find what you're looking for right here.

The name is so apt for what this store is about. Just pretty little trinkets that bring happiness…read moreto simple women. Think of things that will make your most prim and proper, most modest Tita smile. I always find myself coming here when I cram for Christmas presents because I'm sure I'll find something dainty and pretty here for my in-laws, cousins and nieces. They sell stylish bags and purses, accessories and even some scrapbooking stuff. And they're not only pretty, the prices are really friendly too. When I've finished buying for gifts, I make sure I buy something for myself too, since they don't cost much. My husband, bless his generous heart, likes giving me presents that are functional and oftentimes, quite costly. I remember telling him one time when a special occasion was approaching, "Don't buy me something expensive. Just take me shopping at Simple Joys."

Remember when you were in highschool and you had no idea what to wear for Prom? Well back then, we…read moreonly had beepers and tamagochis and the internet had almost nothing in it. There were no smart phones, no Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to help us figure out what kind of dress was best. Even more, most of our stores back then were local. No Zara or Mango stores at the time and if we needed something formal, a trip to the local mananahi with our mothers who usually decide on everything was our only option. Nowadays, kids have it easy. They can easily just go to Se La Vi Clothing and walk away worry-free, clutching a new gown that fits like a glove. It's no wonder so many ladies trust this shop- they can create a custom dress from scratch, working with little as a sketch and create something beautiful in a short amount of time. For students in need of a prom dress, I suggest you get in touch with Angelie Sevilla, the owner at least 2 months before your prom. Best to get ahead of everyone.