When I bought my eyeglasses a couple years ago, I had to spend a little extra just to buy really…read morenice frames that don't easily break. I could get a bit careless when it comes to my eyewear, and I got super tired of buying new ones every now and then because I would break them by accident. The ones that I have now are virtually indestructible because they are made of really pliant plastic, but sadly, the hardware has given up on me. For some weird reason, the head on one of the screws on the leg of my glasses broke off, and I couldn't tighten it anymore. My glasses are just loosely flapping around and it would get annoying because I would have to readjust so often. I took it to the shops around Paterno Street, which is a haven for optical supplies, but nobody wanted to touch it because they said that the screw was already rusted in its groove. They gave me all sorts of negative opinions, like, they are afraid they might break the frames if they coax the screw out. Kuya Orlan, however, took one look and said, "Magagawan ng paraan yan" and proceeded to drill a hole on my eyeglass frames so that he could take the stuck screw out. He managed to ease it out, and he then fitted my eyeglasses with spanking new screws so that I could tighten them at whim. My frames were good as new! I was so happy that I didn't have to buy new frames. Thanks to Kuya Orlan and his can-do attitude, I saved a lot on my prescription eyeglasses as I was sure I was gonna have to buy a new pair.

I started wearing eyeglasses only a couple years back but I have broken, misplaced, lost, scratched…read moreand stepped on 8 pairs of eyeglasses. I am that careless when it comes to my eyewear, since I hate wearing eyeglasses. They are cumbersome, clunky and uncomfortable. However, I am too broke and deathly afraid for laser eye surgery or eye correction, so until I marry into money, I'm going to have to keep on breaking, losing and scratching my eyeglasses. It's a good thing that I have found the best place to get cheap eyeglasses around the metro. Paterno Street, a few streets away from Raon and Hidalgo streets near the Quiapo Church, is the mecca for optometrists and eye specialists. Here, you will find row upon row of eyewear stores and specialty shops for all kinds of eyeglasses, sunglasses and contact lenses. You will find frames in all styles, brands and makes. You can also select from a range of prices, from the obviously fake and fragile counterfeits to the discounted bulk-rate imported frames. You can also buy wholesale frames (for what reason, I don't know. I mean who would possibly need a wholesale rate on eyeglass frames... oh yeah. Me.). All you need is a little patience. You can walk around and shop around for the lowest prices on frames. You can also duck into one of the eye clinics to have expert optometrists perform computerized eye refractions and check ups. The entire street is basically competing for business, so bear that in mind when haggling for the lowest bargains.

Just came home from Paterno Street. Lots of optical shops to choose from. My daughter and I…read moreentered at least 10 shops. My daughter was not able to choose the eyewear that would fit her personality and face from the famous shops (according to the star rating in Google). When we decided to just come back to the first shop that we've been into, that's the time we saw this optical shop in the corner of Paterno and Sales (?) Street. The name of the shop is KMC Eyewear Shop manned by two Chinese (maybe one of them is the owner). They called our attention. I told my daughter that we can try looking at their eyewear since we still have enough time. They're kind and accommodating, very patient in assisting my daughter as she tries one pair of eyeglasses to another eyeglasses. She liked 2-3 pairs and confused which one to buy. Then I saw a Dior brand in red color and asked my daughter if she likes it. She tried it on and she said it looks really good. I then asked the Chinese woman if they have a blue of it and she said yes. She went out of their shop to get the blue one from, I think, another shop of theirs or stockroom. While she was out, I saw another good pair of eyeglasses in blue color tucked in the corner of the glass shelf. It was an Oakley imitation but nevertheless a good-looking one. My daughter said she also liked it. When the Chinese woman returned, I asked her how much for the two pairs if we will have them in multicoated and transitional lens. She said 3200 pesos but since we will buy two it will only be 2800 pesos. Wow! My daughter said that only the Oakley will have the multicoated and transitional lens, while the Dior will be as it is. She decided just to keep the Dior as a reserve once the Oakley would be damaged in the future lol. So final price for the eyeglasses is 2300 pesos plus 200 pesos for the eye check up. It's really a very good deal. Two pairs for just 2500 pesos. In the mall it is around 6000-6500 pesos for one pair of eyeglasses with multicoated and transitional lens when we asked Acebedo. Above all, my daughter is so happy with her glasses. She keeps saying that everything is HD lol. Thanks to KMC

Dropped by the Sarabia Optical branch in Greenbelt last week because my old glasses were finally…read moregiving up on me, and wow, what a smooth experience. The staff greeted me right away, no waiting around like some places. They took their time with the eye exam--super thorough, explained my slight astigmatism shift without making me feel dumb, and then helped me browse without any hard sell. Ended up picking a sleek pair from one of the newer designer lines that looked way better on me than I expected, and with their promo, the whole thing (frames + progressive lenses) came out to way less than I'd pay back home. They even threw in a free lens cleaner kit and adjusted them perfectly on the spot. Felt taken care of, not just sold to. Service was genuinely warm and professional--zero pressure, all help. Already telling friends to go here. Easily 5 stars for me.

On advice of a friend who purchases all his eyewear at Sarabia Optical we visited out local branch…read morein Greenbelt 1. The first thing that hits you is the huge selection that is available with all the top designers represented. Service,as is the case in Makati is excellent and prices are Sometimes 1/3 of what you would pay in North America. Specialty lenses however can take up to 10 days to complete and the sole reason Sarabia lost 1 star. We were able to pick up 2 of the newest designer frames for just about $210.00 with discounts and left very happy with the service,prices and selection.

I love Dr. Tan! I was introduced to her by my cousin as I was in need of LASIK surgery and…read moreapparently, there is nobody better in the eye industry to do it than this woman herself. From the get-go, I knew that she was a pleasant woman that I could trust. She answered all my questions with advanced knowledge and patience. She also performed a flawless job on my eyes and now I have 20/20 vision. I see her on an annual basis for my follow-up checkups and she remains the warm professional that she is.

My mom is a pro bargain hunter. She also has really poor eyesight. So that apparently equates that…read moreshe 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.

Got my glasses here last Sunday. The place was pretty crowded when I got in, would have been nice…read moreif the space was a bit bigger. Good thing was the staff was friendly & accommodating.

I usually got to SM Megamall when I need new glasses of I need the old ones repaired but the newly…read morebuilt SM Aura was much closer to our house. I remembered that I passed by what looked like an optical shop when I watched a movie in SM Aura so I just drove there and looked for it. I found it and I asked them if they could repair my broken glasses. Apparently, my glasses were beyond repair. I just asked them if I could get a new one. They had me enter the testing room where I had my eyes tested. It was the usual read some small letters on the wall test. I tried asking the optometrist questions about blurred eyesights and vision and all my curious questions. I was very thankful because she answered all my questions and explained them to me so I could easily understand. I then picked the frame for my glasses. They have collections of Ray-Bans, Espirit, and other high end brands. Fortunately for me, they had a promo of free frames that comes with the lenses. I picked the glasses up two days later and my vision was clearer than ever. The people here are very friendly. The guy who assisted me in picking frames was really insightful and assistive. The optometrist was also very nice. The location is very convenient for people living near BGC.

Great Service! They served tea while waiting for your frame. They even clean and repair my existing…read moreframe. I love their customer service.

You come for prescription glasses. You stay for her personality and her care. Warby Parker has…read morenothing on Nella Sarabia None of that computerized diagnosis she does it old school. She offers dirt cheap frames and affordable lenses. Another plus is that her clinic is near a row of stores selling fishballs, kwek kwek and squid balls

Located inside UP Shopping Center, this optical shop is owned by the funkiest and hippiest looking…read moreoptometrist that I know, Nella Sarabia. She came from a family of optometrist and has been operating in UP for about 2 decades already. Through her shop's glass window, you will notice her collection of old camera units, framed photographs of the Mexican Revolution and some art works hung on the wall, along with the various eyeglasses inside her shop. No it's not a gallery, no you're not in the 70's, it's simply an optical shop in UP. I brought my ageing parents to Nella to have their eyes checked because of their constant whining about head aches and poor eye sight. I insisted on going to UP rather than going to a near-by optometrist because Nella treats her clients like friends and house guests, she's very warm and nice to talk to; you will learn a lot from simply having a conversation with her. She even helped my parents with their choice of frame and suggested the one that looked good and will function well with them the most. Not to worry about Nella's prices too because it is also the cheapest that I know. My parents paid for only about P 5,000.00 for two pairs of eyeglasses with grades! It's quite cheap for the usual 4k-5k price of a pair. As Nella says "We are in UP, walang mahal dapat dito." (We are in UP, nothing should be expensive here.) Most of Nella's clients and friends are UP Professors, artists and rockstars, a few are Dong Abay, Joey "Pepe" Smith, The Eraserheads, Jessica Zafra, Jon Red and Lourd de Veyra. Her shop is located at UP Shopping Center, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. Landline: 4355685 (Call first).