Like a lot of guys, I sometimes miss the good old days when the only place to get a haircut was a barber shop, not beauty parlors that now call themselves hair salons.
There are a handful of barber shops near the place I call home, and the one that I went to most recently is known as Oragon barber shop.
This place is definitely 'pang masa' as it is inside a lot that has several eateries outside. Everyday people eat at the compound, from taxi and tricycle drivers to mothers waiting for their kids at the nearby school to the workers of the nearby establishments like a supermarket, wet market and fruit stall.
There are only two barbers at Oragon, which has a steady stream of customers all day. The place has a TV and is air-conditioned, and a basic haircut goes for P70.
A shave also goes for the same amount. The reason I am sure to go back there for my monthly haircut is because my barber not only trimmed my mustache and sideburns, he also shaved my several weeks' beard (or what passes for one) for free. I gave him P100 and he was most thankful because the other barber had just gotten a P10 tip from his customer.
There is nothing classy about Oragon, but I find it the ideal neighbourhood barber shop where everybody knows everybody. Sure there are parlors that offer P39.95 haircuts, but Oragon's barbers give the classic cut which starts with scissors, moves to electric shavers, and ends with a newly-sharpened razor.
Five stars for this new favourite of mine. read more