Like Japan Home Center, you can find anything and everything you're looking for in American Bazaar…read more But this time, yup, they sell American brands - for a really cheap price! Their price point ranges from 88 pesos to 66 pesos and this store is one of the stores I frequent when I need to restock office supplies, home supplies, gardening supplies or cooking and baking supplies. I'm a big fan of their hair accessories and their hair dyes. Sometimes I also buy their cocoa butter lotion - it's really good. I love how a lot of their products come in big sizes so you really know that you're saving a ton of money for something inexpensive that will last you a long time. Another tip is, if you're having a children's party or a simple party (nothing fancy) and you need props, food supplies and toys, you can definitely see a lot of choices from American Bazaar. Heck, you can buy all your party needs there. Well, except for food and drinks that is.

Just the place to get some bargain knock offs! Yep, I'm cheap. Everyone's respectful and no one…read morepushes their stuff on to you. Just check them out and get only what you want.

Over the years, Tumblr users have skyrocketed. It's so popular that a lot of kids, teens and hip…read moreyuppies get inspiration from Tumblr blogs. May it be photography, quotes, memes, gifs, art, pop culture, style and most especially fashion. My friend actually introduced my sister and I to Fashion Market. After learning about it, we go there every time were at this mall. Fashion Market is split into 2 sides on the mall - the left and the right. I suggest going through all stores. It can take hours though, haha, but you won't regret it. They have every style and trend you'd typically see on Tumblr, fashion blogs, Youtube beauty channels and fashion week! Inside, you'll also find spas, salons, money changers and ATM's. The prices range from super inexpensive to normal clothing price rates. A lot of stores sell super hip shoes, clothes, hats, shades and even prom dresses and traditional Filipino costumes. Definitely check out these stores I frequent when you're there - (right side) Push Thru, Mastermind Chase and Muradito, (left side) Nava, Berca and Ballow. Happy shopping! :)

I am at that akward age when half of my friends are still staggering out of clubs, and the other…read morehalf barely show up at barkada events anymore because they are taking care of their kids now. My friends seem to be getting married one by one, and after marriage, of course come the babies. I don't know what my friends are thinking, but I seem to be the eligible "ninong" type, so when I get invitations for baby showers or Christenings, my go-to spot for presents and gifts is Baclaran. I found out about the baby supply stores in Baclaran through my sister, who has two lovely kids of her own. High quality yet inexpensive baby stuff such as layettes, bonnets, mittens, cloth diapers and just about anything related to a raising a baby can be found here You can also buy feeding bottles, baby bags, clothes and toys. At this day and age when everything store-bought is very expensive, I opt for more practical choices that don't necessarily compromise with quality and durability. Instead of buying branded stuff at the mall, the baby stalls near the back of the Redemptorist church has a lot of great choices: there are cheaper items, and there are also imported things at almost half the hyper-inflated mall prices. What I love buying for my inaanaks are the comfy cotton "pambahay" outfits that can withstand wear, and since kids grow at such a startling rate and outgrow their clothes really quickly, there is really no practical reason behind buying really expensive premium baby wear and supplies in the mall. Just ask around for the baby stores from the sidewalk vendors, and they will gladly point you to the right direction.

Most of the reviews here are on the pet center or the other divisions of the market, i.e. the one…read morewith shoes, the one with clothing overruns, the one with secondhand appliances, the one with bicycles, the one with gardening stuff, etc. Those are all well and good, but what I love about the Cartimar Market is their food. Seriously, where else can you get authentic Thai food for less than a hundred pesos? Sen Lek Thai in the foodcourt is one of the best Thai places I've tried. If you're more into Korean food, Arisoo is a restaurant towards the back that I was also able. My favorite though is the cold taho at one of the Japanese groceries here, I forget the name. It's basically cold taho with toppings of your choice, for around fifty pesos for a big bowl. It's my secret pick me up. Don't tell anyone, okay?

I consider Cartimar Market to be one of the more underrated places in the metro. A lot of people…read moreknow about the pet center here, which is also what drew me to the place in the first place, but once you go past that, you'll see that it has a whole lot more to offer. It's not a market in the usual sense. I haven't seen any wet produce like meat or fish, though I'm sure there's an area in there somewhere. What I have seen are stores selling clothing - mostly overruns or surpluses of major brands, stores selling shoes, stores selling appliances, and stores selling miscellaneous items like mason jars and the like. You also have, of course, the pet center, and the SM supermarket. The best part, I think, are the foreign groceries where you can get Japanese or Korean ingredients dirt-cheap.

The size of this mall always means that this can be a great spot to hang out with friends and…read morefamily. I mean, there are so much things you can do to plan out some activities. There are arcades, boba spots, cafes, archery, bakery class, digital art museum, nail salon, hair salon etc and even a sports arena that holds concerts too. We came across a couple of artists promoting music and there was a stage and sound set-up in one of the big spaces. I got to say though, the most recent time I came here I was very grossed out by the strong smell of the ice skating rink!!! It feels as if there isn't enough cleaning done on those ice skate rentals and it totally put off me and the rest of our group from entering in to see the prices. I don't remember the spot stinking so much pre-COVID so that's very unfortunate. It's across from one of the food courts in the mall too. You can eat food of various types!!! Food court options or literal restaurants. I definitely think coming here for two days is best but you can still explore a majority of the mall in one day. I like the security for checking bags upon entry when going into the different buildings. Expect a ton of banks, restaurants and stores. A BIG PLUS. If you are struggling to find a store, ask one of the security personnel inside. They immediately know the directions on where to go and were super impressive in their knowledge!!! The staff here in the Philippines are very courteous and professional. Always a good visit to come here especially to enjoy the AC also.

Lives up to being one of THE malls to visit in the Philippines. Over three levels of dozens of…read morestores, from affordable to high end luxury. The space is so large I stumbled on a basketball tournament happening in the mall to public spectacle! Walking it in one day was doable but most tourists tend to take two days at minimum to see the entire property. There is little to no service within the mall itself and Wifi is spotty so bear that in mind when strolling around. Well maintained and with a gorgeous view of the bay!

I always knew that Starmall EDSA-Shaw is a good place to hunt for bargain items. But it's only…read morerecently that I discovered Japan Selection on the second floor. At first glance, the store looked like just any ordinary thrift shop selling Japan-made goods. Look closer, or better yet get inside, and you will see that they are more than just the usual stocks of cookware, kitchen gadgets, chopsticks, Lucky (or Pocky) biscuit sticks, and whatnots from the land of the rising sun. They sell second-hand appliances on an 'as is, where is' basis. This means they will test the appliance you want to buy in the store. But if it doesn't work later when you bring it home, you can't claim a refund. They also have pre-owned baby strollers and other baby furniture. Heck, they even have used surfboards. What really lured me to the place was the stacks of original Japanese manga comics, many of them are Naruto. I was giddy because my cousin who's learning how to read and write Japanese can now spice up his studies by reading one of his favorite manga/anime series in its original language. Without hesitation, I grabbed three books to buy. Right across the manga section was the used toy shelves. Here, I found countless Ultraman figures, diecast cars, robots, and baby toys. Clumsy me grazed one of the items on a shelf and it fell with a beautiful percussive sound. When I picked it up, I realized that it was a bamboo baby rattle. I bought it for twenty bucks to use as decoration at home. The only downside to Japan Selections is their dusty, topsy-turvy store. If you suffer from asthma, better stay out.

It looks like a beautiful businessI can't wait to go there to see it and November I'm coming to the…read morePhilippines in November

I love how Greenhills can still somehow surprise you even though you've spent a good time of your…read morelife there and seen it grow. There are stores there that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, and one day you'll just be walking along, getting lost in Shoppesville and you chance upon a dollar store, and you think nothing of it, until you go in and have your life changed. A dollar store in America is much like the Daiso and Saizen here, except of course a dollar is cheaper than th P66 or P88 you shell out for an item in these stores. While similar in concept, the stuff here isn't exactly ridiculous low-priced, just that they're American imports. A lot of them are stuff you'd easily get here in the country, of course, but you'd come upon a few that are more hard to find, and one of those are STARBURST CANDIES! I love Starburst. They were my friend when I was in the US riding the subway or getting lost and feeling like a complete foreigner. I sometimes have dreams about Starburst. And I was over the freaking moon that the store carried them in a bunch of different varieties, so I snatched one up (I regret not buying more) and had it rung up at the register. They have other things too, like curiously cheap trail mixes, cereal, dog accessories, shampoos, cosmetics, detergent, and so much more stuff. But I'll only come back here for the Starburst.

A bussling chaotic go-go place that somehow still manages to function, but that is how things work…read morein the Philippines. Just doesn't rate close to the order/organization of the clothing district in Taipei, for instance, but one can find great deals here: in our opinion, go here mostly for the Bangladeshi branded over-runs in t-shirts, polo shirts, shorts, denims, etc. But pay attention to quality? Is similar to the bargain markets in 168, 1188, QQ, Taytay, and Baclaran: if you do pay attention to quality - seam stitching, workmanship faults, material softness and thickness, print design - can get great deals here that easily outmatch SM, Robinson's and Ayala operations that have such high overheads that they are only kept open by deceiving the buying public! Also have many Chinese and Pinoy muslim shops, but not at all attractive to us. Check 999 out?

999 Mall is one of the newest establishments in Divisoria, and I have no recollection of even…read moreseeing this place being built. It wasn't there one day, and then - voila! - new mall. It was even situated right beside the venerable 168 Mall, and looks just about the same. Being a newer mall, the place is still quite empty last time I was there, but maybe it was because I just got so used to the cramped hallways of 168 where you can't help but rub buttcheeks with whoever's going in the other direction. Here, the thoroughfares are wider, the aircon cooler, and the prices pretty much the same.

So it's been 17 years since last went to the Philippines, and I didn't know what to expect…read more What a pleasant surprise it was when my parents and I checked in to the Airbnb and we find out that the Venice Grand Canal Mall was just across the street. I spent a lot of time here. As soon as you walk into the mall, it doesn't feel like you're in the Philippines anymore. The canal was nice to see during the day and at night. You can even take a gondola through the canal. They also have an area where you can feed pigeons seeds. They have a lot of the stores and the restaurants that we have in the US. I was joking around saying that I traveled 7200 miles to eat at a Denny's in the Philippines. Lol. And you know I had to hit up the Uniqlo here! Will I be back? Of course. Especially if I stay at the same Airbnb. I'll see you when I see you Venice Grand Canal Mall!

The Venice Grand Canal Mall is a large lifestyle center located in Taguig, Philippines…read more The Venice Grand Canal Mall should be viewed within the context of a master planned development. Encircling this mall are apartments, condos and office towers. The mall offers a lot: a supermarket; bookstores; fast food and casual dining restaurants; a multi-screen movie theater; spaces for dance and play--and a lot of retail shopping. You can also buy tickets for a gondola ride or rent a swan boat. This location provided an opportunity for me to people watch; examine products and brands unfamiliar to me; and to price compare goods in the PHL, versus back home. It was interesting.

What's better than an Adidas store? What's better is an Adidas OUTLET store. Yes, Adidas can be…read morepretty pricey and you would definitely need to shell out a lot of money for cool new kicks or a hip sports jacket, but why not check out an outlet store and see all the (still) cool and hip stuff that are sold with great quality? I for one, am definitely thankful for this store. I have not one but 4 members of my family who are Adidas addicts. I can see why because they certainly have great stuff but it's personally not my style so I buy other and cheap workout gear that won't burn holes in my wallet and pockets. An outlet store won't so every time there's a birthday or it's Christmas, I always visit this branch. They have great discounts (up to 70% off during sale season) and you can even call them beforehand to ask if they have a certain model you want.