I have always been a fan and have always tried to promote buying local products in support of our…read moreeconomy. Swear. This is why it was such a delight to discover Kultura Butik during my latest trip to Taal Vista Hotel. I found souvenir items that were specifically made for Taal Vista and Tagaytay, which were obviously geared towards tourists. For a frequent visitor like me, I was particularly delighted by their selection of bags and pouches that had beautiful and funky graphic prints, resembling and inspired by traditional weave patterns of indigenous tribes form all over the Philippines. Despite having several pouches and coin purses that haven't been used in my cabinet, I couldn't resist getting one. Well, not for myself, but as a "gift on reserve" for those times when I'm suddenly invited to a birthday party and I have no time to buy a gift. Again, pushing for "our very own" with every chance I get. Hooray for patriotism! Hooray for local talent! Hooray for me and you!

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]

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!

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.

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.

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.

Department Store in MOA (MANILA Philippines)…read more The SM Store offer a wide range of merchandise. I remembered this as Shoemart when I lived in the Philippines until I was 11 years old. I bought a pair of Crocs flats to replace my worn out pair back home. I love these... my mom and sister each also purchased a pair. The salesperson was very helpful. She patiently went to get the correct sizes for us. She had to go to another part of the store to grab them. Not sure how far she went to get them but we waited quite awhile. The Crocs were displayed in a small section right at the entrance (which immediately caught my eye). Prices for the Crocs were comparable to U.S. pricing (about $52 for my flats). There was no line at the register and the transaction went fast and smooth. We were able to pay by credit card. Located in the South Parking Building on the first level. The SM Store is the largest department store chain in the Philippines. Review #3301

For those westerners this place is like a mix of Macy's plus Walmart. The worker to customer ratio…read moreis 2:1 and it's awesome, it's like having a personal shopper! They have a wonderful selection of local and traditional items for sale also around the store, but local! I'll be stopping here more in the coming months. So if you don't want to walk all over the Mall of Asia then come on over here and save your feet. And it has AC! Also a plus anywhere in Southeast Asia. Enjoy!

The Manila Collectible Co. store is one of a kind. It is unique in its history, concept, and…read morenature. Owner and manager Charisse Tugade (a Filipina who grew up mostly in the US), conceptualized and opened the store to feed her passion and personal advocacy of proliferating knowledge about Filipino pre-Hispanic culture. The Manila Collectible Co serves as an approachable museum and "culturespace" -- a very informative center for education on Philippine pre-history, Filipino indigenous people and their culture, and uniquely Filipino products -- all sourced from all over the Philippines. As a museum, TMCC offers exhibits on woven crafts, baybayin (an ancient Filipino system of writing), and manunggul jars (replicas of which she also sells), among other things. As a culturespace, she offers pottery painting classes for children, weaving workshops, and has partnered with several groups for frequent pasyals (tours), workshops, and special performances. As a store, TMCC carries food and beverages, textiles, finely-produced costumes and accessories made out of these textiles, and quality trinkets -- all amazing souvenir finds for foreign visitors, as well as locals who never really realized how talented their fellow Filipinos are. I've bought several things from TMCC. Favorites are the Tsokolate con Crema, and Dulce de Leche spreads; an authentic Ilocos towel (which are super soft, lightweight, absorbent, and beautifully woven); and Real Tan organic browning oil. My next target purchase is an exquisite ikat clutch from her Bai Riasha line.

As a fan of all things Filipino I always go out of my way to check out cultural shops and try as…read moremuch as possible to support them! Manila Collectible in Intramuros is one of those great finds! They carry a lot of handwoven bags in shapes I've never seen before, national costumes for kids (but not the usual ones!) jewellery boxes and a lot of textile. It's great to find these things in Manila especially for those who can't make a trip out of the city. Its fun inviting atmosphere makes you want to spend the whole afternoon here. They recently moved to a new location in Fort Santiago, I haven't been but their old store was amazing. They had a set of stairs lined with manunggul jars and behind it an excellent view of the cathedral. The other set of stairs led to a rooftop deck, open for events and parties. If their new location is anything like this one, I'm sure you wont be disappointed!