My mom is a pro bargain hunter. She also has really poor eyesight. So that apparently equates that she knows the best places to get affordable yet quality glasses and contact lenses. I think I was in the fourth grade when I was first told that I needed glasses, and my mom immediately dragged me to Quiapo. We've been getting our eye stuff there since ever, buying in bulk and haggling hard.
Then she left for the US and I was just clueless how to maneuver my way to Quiapo. So I just ended up in SM North's Ideal Vision.
PROS: The service is quick and simple. You speak to ANY staff, create a record if you don't have one (if you do, they just pull it up for you after giving your name), wait for your name to be called to have your refraction test, then after the test wait for your turn to have a lens fitting. Once you get your results you can have your specs made, or get some contact lenses. During those wait times, you can choose among their wide variety of frames, from generic ones to a Bulgari if you want one. They have a good selection of products and very frequent sales.
CONS: It is always teeming with customers. It's cramped and sometimes you'd miss your name being called because of the crowd; It's pretty much the same across the board price-wise when it comes to mall optical shops. So don't expect it to be cheaper here.
TL;DR: It's the generic mall optical shop, only more crowded. I just go here because I'm used to it. read more