Philippines Shopping Guide

The Philippines is a good country to shop in- there are a large number of shops selling everything from modern designer clothing and electronics to traditional handicrafts, such as jewellery -traditionally of gold, silver and pearls, basketwork and furniture -the Philippines produces excellent furniture- of rattan, bamboo and wood- plain or carved. The people are of a religious bent of mind, and you’ll find lots of religious statues and icons on sale. The country also produces a number of items which are best avoided- leather ware, shell items, crocodile skin (or snakeskin) bags and shoes, and so on. Just remember that these items are the main reason for the Philippines’ swiftly disappearing wildlife, before you spend your money on them.

Department stores, supermarkets and specialty shops in large cities like Manila have a wide range of readymade garments, toys, electronics and other `popular’ items, which you can usually get at lower rates than you’d have to pay in other countries in the region.