Just to be clear, I really do not believe in all this feng shui stuff but a lot of people do, and…read morenot just my Chinese friends either. My brother, for one, is a firm believer after a feng shui expert gave him some advice about where to place certain furniture at his place, and also recommended some feng shui items like the kind found in this store. After that, he swears that his health improved substantially. A lot of my friends also believe in feng shui. Mostly, their premise is "it can't hurt." I do find some of the stuff here quite decorative, and they do make good gifts for those who are into this oriental mumbo jumbo. No offense meant for those who believe in this. Anyway, the store is one of the biggest of its kind that I've ever seen and I've seen plenty. I suppose tourists will find this store extremely interesting.

Friday, March 1 90°F 49% Humidity…read more Let's go souvenir shopping! Gift giving (pasalubong) is an important Filipino tradition, and Kultura offers a wide range of products that showcase the country's culture, cuisine, clothing, and craftsmanship. This retail chain is owned by SM and you'll find them inside most if not all SM shopping malls. I went to the one inside SM Makati. What do they have? Apparel - atleisure, polos, footwear, T-shirts, jackets, traditional outfits like filipiniana or barong, Accessories - jewelry, sunglasses, hats, shawls, tote bags, purses Food - dried mangoes, chocolate bars, jams, polvorón (shortbread), cookies, banana chips For the home - placemats, coasters, picture frames, utensils, ornaments, figurines, other diningware I didn't buy too much because it was still early in my trip; didn't want to overpack my luggage because I had two more flights to Mindanao and Cebu. I mostly browsed around to get an idea of what they had and made plans to stop at another location on my last day. But I did get a small bag of YeloYolo cacao cookies, which are as "healthy" as cacao can be. All real plant-based ingredients and an excellent source of fiber, iron, magnesium, protein, and potassium. Halal certified as well. Overall lots of unique gifts you can bring home and share with family, friends and colleagues! Philippines 2024 collection: https://www.yelp.com/collection/DHwKzvo7o_ll8jmXFFU3KA/PHIL-2024

Kultura Filipino is really your one-stop shop for Authentic & Quality Pearls, Barong, Filipiniana,…read moreand Local Souvenir items. It's located in the SM Makati mall on the second floor. Chances are you will find what you need. From a range of T-shirts, caps, magnets, keychains, coffee, cookies, candy, chocolates, chocolate dipped mangoes, handmade items, etc. I could've spent hours in this place.

Have you ever experienced not knowing what gift to give a friend so you just end up running around…read morethe mall frantically searching for something suitable? Yeah, that's a common enough occurrence for me which is why Tickles is such a delight. It's already saved me countless times from panicking about a gift. I just get a little wary of their prices sometimes, but I tend to find something that eventually overpowers that wariness. They have all these cute baubles and knick-knacks such as door signages, throw pillows, and stuff toys. They also have some useful stuff such as notebooks, bags, aprons, pens, doggie beds, and so much more! So whether you're shopping for yourself or for a friend, something's bound to tickle your fancy!

Don't look at me like that. I have a reputation to keep but ugh everything in Tickles is so…read morestinking cute. Even the name is enough to give you a toothache from its sweetness. Tickles has stuff that's both adorable and functional. From keychains to notebooks to plush toys to bags to... well... everything. Anything and everything under the sun. It... er... tickles... that need in me for cute stuff. I may have also spent a good twenty minutes laughing at this sign that read "You are in danger of being monitored" with the picture of a person about to hit another person with a computer monitor. Sure it's a little pricey but I suppose it depends on what you're getting. But I suppose it's the perfect little something store. There's bound to be something in there you need or at least something you'd want to give a friend when Christmas or a birthday comes around. It was a popular gift place when I was in gradeschool and it's still popular (and relevant) today.

Gift Gate is a store that basically sells a lot of items that are colored in pink. It's main mascot…read moreis a Kitty that I'm sure many of those born in the 90's would recognize but those after the millennium would not. Back in the old days Gift Gate was well, a nice place to get gifts for your loved ones, particularly kids. They sold stationary, toys, pencils, pens, you name it it had it. I gave this one four stars because of the sense of nostalgia. I have a great suspicion that buying something here and giving it to a girl who grew up in the 90's might appreciate the sense of nostalgia that this would bring them. Not only that, but items from Gift Gate aren't that expensive. It's a nice place for people who are working on a tight budget, but want something that has a little bit of thought and sentimentality to their gift of choice.

I really like all the clothing and accessories one can buy here. Its all Filipino offerings…read moreconveniently located in SM. The items are a little pricier than local vendors and shops but traveling alone I feel better spending a few extra pesos rather than to venture past Antonio Arnaiz Av. The clothing is beautiful and the handbags are too unique to not go home with out one.

Kultura is the perfect place to find things truly unique to FIlipino culture. If you're looking for…read morea gift or pasalubong for balikbayans, for sure you'll find what you're looking for here. They have everything from clothes, bags, hats, even liquors! Owned by the SM company, you can be sure to find them in all their department stores or malls, which makes it very convenient and everything's pretty affordable too! I had a few cousins come to visit from America over the Holy Week and in the stress of all the planning I lost track of time to buy them something! Luckily, there's an SM near my house and I ran and found really cute beach bags for their trip to Boracay. I love any business or organization that supports being Filipino so this is up there on my Manila list!

Team Manila is originally a graphic design studio that now has a store to sell their creative…read moreproducts. I highly recommend it for all those looking for funny and cool t-shirts related to the Philippines and its culture. Are you going back to your country and want to give your relatives some gift? So there's a cool alternative to the obvious Kultura Filipino. Their designers are so talented that they can take a trivial Rizal's picture and transform it into a cool t-shirt or a wallet. There's a certain hipster vibe, that's a fact. You can notice it by the shelves dedicated to Lomography - yep, they are official distributors of Lomography products in the Philippines. If you're dreaming with a new Diana or La Sardina, then take a look at this store. They sell not only the cameras, but also some accessories.

Pasalubong is such a well loved Filipino tradition. It's so well known that even when my friends…read moreand relatives from the States come to visit, they bring something for their friends and families back home. One of my favorite places to take them when they're looking for souvenirs is Team Manila in Power Plant. I love how it's uniquely Filipino and yet has managed adapt to the times and branded themselves and the "new" pasalubong. They've got really great and useful things like tumblers, wallets, and lanyards designed with Filipino words and images that make it distinct. Their graphic designers are so talented coming up with the images they put on their items, I really love it on shirts too! If you're looking for pasalubong that's different and not the usual banig inspired souvenir, Team Manila has awesome alternatives! Oh, they also sell lomo cameras and lomo film if you're into that!

Kultura Filipino is conveniently located in the Mall of Asia. The Mall of Asia gets a lot of…read moretourists each day (especially those who might be flying back home soon), so that was a brilliant idea to put this store inside the mall. Kultura Filipino has a wide variety of pasalubong (souvenirs) to bring back as gifts for loved ones or as keepsakes for yourself. The prices aren't the cheapest, in fact you can for sure find cheaper souvenirs elsewhere throughout the Philippines, however, the items here shouldn't break the bank (especially if you are on a budget). I for one like Kultura Filipino and their items due to the variety and the convenience, since I can make last-minute pasalubong purchases before going home. I look forward to visiting the store again on my next trip back to the Philippines.

For anyone coming to the Philippines and don't have time to go to other places for souvenir things,…read morethis is the store to go to! They have all the native items to buy from clothes including barong, shelled dishes to frames, pasol (lighted stars), jewelry to sweets. Very surprised there was a store like this in the SM Megamall (mega A side). I liked everything but only limited funds to buy a lot at the time for me. The prices of course is a little expensive here but if you have no time and still have to travel to get to the cheaper store, I would just buy from here. It's organized and clean. [121/100]

Compared to its neighboring businesses in the area, Wellmanson presents itself like a glittering,…read moregolden boutique staffed by well-dressed ladies in blazers and pencil skirts assisting you in buying stuff you likely don't really need. Sure you might have just come in to get a pair of nice pliers or leatherette cord to make accessories with, but you will be bewildered with the wealth of other DIY craft items and supplies and gift items in general. Where else would you be able say "Look at these beads!" and "Check out this dog hair trimmer!" in the same breath? They have mini water fountains, and toy brick sets, and thighmasters and who knows what else. They're like a mini-mall oasis in the middle of Quiapo. The place is somewhat labyrinthine in structure, and while it is fun to look around and see what the next room holds, it does get confusing if you're really looking for something specific. Their payment system is also a bit of a pain--though professional looking, it's a little cumbersome to line up to get your items priced, *and then* have to pay for them in a separate line. Also, there are these curious pulley baskets that have ropes leading to dark holes in the ceiling... You know if you're going to browse through stores in Quiapo and DV and its nearby areas that you're just getting into a trap, because if you think you're window shopping without buying anything, you're kidding yourself. Wellmanson knows this for a fact and has set out to have you do exactly that.

Hear ye, hear ye, passionate beaders. Feeling a bit crafty?…read more The whole stretch of the street where Wellmanson is located is full of shops selling beads and whatnot! Villalobos Street is the place to be if you are looking for new craft projects, specially accessories. It's the disneyland of crafter's everywhere. I've lost one whole day just going through each one of he shops in there, checking out the craft supplies and beads. Wellmanson's my favourite store so far and the biggest I've been into among the ones on the street. I've never seen so many craft supplies in one store. Beads of all kind and sizes are found there, prices ranging from very cheap to expensive ones like the swarovski. I went here one Saturday afternoon and it was packed with manangs like me :p They have ready made accessories like necklaces, watches and bracelets... but the best part of the store for me is where they sell the raw materials. Twines, nylons, charms, beads.. the whole nine yards of it. They even have those hooks for earrings and locks for bracelets, of different sizes, color and shapes. They also have those organizer where you can keep your beads inside, pattern boards, tools like pliers. I enjoyed myself too much shopping in there :)