Shopping Malls in Manila, Philippines
Coming up with a list of Manila's top shopping venues is not an easy task. There are so many of them. The malls get merged, renovated, reorganized, etc., at such a rapid pace it is hard to keep up with. And there is a huge variety of scales and styles. It might be possible to do a list like this just on wholesale and flea market sorts of venues. And it might be possible to dedicate a piece to just the upscale venues. But the all kind of blend together and deciding what constitutes upscale, which malls are just ordinary malls, and which venues are "wholesale markets" in a place where shopping is this good is hard…1) SM Megamall in Mandoluyong Located in the Ortegas Center of Metro Manila's Mandaluyong City, SM Megamall is possibly the largest shopping mall in the Philippines. You can find everything from antiques and local furniture to clothing and (of course) shoes. There's a wide variety of eating establishments and (believe it or not) an ice skating rink. The mall is anchored by the flagship of the SM Department Store chain; but there are over 500 stores and stalls to pick from in the mall.2) Shangri La Plaza in Mandoluyong This mall includes Rustans, one of the city's more highbrow department stores. The plaza is eight levels of upscale and exclusive shopping experiences. Three department stores grace the complex: Rustan's, Marks & Spencer, and Crossings. There's a Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum if you feel like a little stress relief after a hard day's shopping. Food is plentiful. And designer boutiques like Polo and Armani are sprinkled throughout the mall. While Shangri-La Plaza is more exclusive then most of Manila's shopping malls, there are some bargain stores in the mix.3) Robinsons Galleria in Mandoluyong In the Ortigas Center in Mandaluyong City, this is the flagship mall of the Robinson chain. The mall is five levels and has about 400 shops. Esprit, CK Underwear, Dockers, Guess, Marks & Spencer, and Nine West are some of the more recognizable store names. If you're home sick (or just hungry) there's a KFC, a Burger King, a McDonalds, and a Pizza Hut among the hoards of eateries. And, of course, there's Robinsons Department Store.4) The Power Plant in Makati In the Rockwell Center, this is another of Manila's upscale shopping venues. Calvin Klein, DKNY, Evita Peroni, Guess, and Polo start the list. There's a Baby Guess and a Calvin Klein Underwear, an Adidas store and a Speedo. The list goes on…5) Harrison Plaza in Ermita The first shopping mall in the Philippines, opened in 1976. This is the only place in the Philippines where you can find both a Rustan's and an SM Department Store. You'll find everything from diamonds and pearls to laptops and ipods in the plaza's 180 or so stores.6) Greenhills Shopping Center in Ermita Located in San Juan, Greenhills Shopping Center was an upscale attraction in the late 1970's. Today it is more of a bargain center - a very busy bargain center. Greenhills Shopping Center has three sections: the main Greenhills complex, the Unimart Supermarket, and Virra Mall shopping center. Haggling is an essential and the feel here is more local, less Western. If you have the time to look and to dicker, you can find almost anything. That includes designer fashions and accessories.7) The Alaya Center in Makati This is actually two malls Glorietta and Greenbelt. Glorietta is physically part of the Alaya Center; Greenbelt is a cluster of four connected malls across the street. Greenbelt Park is nearby and the shopping areas are surrounded by some of Manila's best restaurants and nightlife. Glorietta is more upscale than the Greenbelt malls. The malls tend to hold coordinated "Midnight Madness" sales periodically if you have trouble sleeping. The size of the malls can be daunting. The Greenbelt malls take up a city block; Glorietta is divided into four sub-malls. Landmark Department Store and SM Department Store are nearby.8) Mall of Asia in Pasay An SM mall, this is the largest mall in the Philippines one of the five or six largest shopping malls in the world. SM owns three huge malls in Metro-Manila. The mall is built on land reclaimed from Manila Bay. It takes up just under 20 hectares. Mall of Asia is somewhat more upscale than most other malls owned by SM. Included on the property is the first Olympic-sized ice skating rink in the Philippines. There's also an IMAX, some high quality office space, and (of course) plenty of shopping.9) Tutuban Center in Divisoria Lots of reasonably priced clothing. The Tutuban Center has 156 clothing stores - including 31 places to buy women's shoes. Of course, there are plenty of stores that aren't focused specifically on clothing. You can also find Filipino handicrafts, electronics, jewelry, etc. And there are some good health and beauty outlets in the mall.10) 168 in Divisoria One of Manila's newer malls, 168 Shopping Center is named for a number thought to be lucky in the local Chinese community. The mall has been popular, but not particularly lucky. Authorities have broken up smuggling rings selling counterfeit goods at the mall on more than one occasion since it opened. Despite the mall's legal troubles, it remains a popular place to look for bargain prices - especially on clothing.Comments
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