Divisoria

Divisoria is a district in Manila. It's Shopping Heaven if you know how to haggle. It used to be a very large open-air market or "tiangge" where you can buy almost anything at really cheap prices. Retailers buy their supplies there.

Now, there's an air-conditioned Divisoria Mall, but it's still more fun to shop in the old section, where the stalls are filled to the hilt with merchandise. Some stalls even have attics where merchants keep additional inventory. Aisles are very narrow -- you have to squeeze by people who stop to look at merchandise and delivery people with boxes or bundles either on carts or on their shoulders.

As you walk by the stalls, women would call out in a charming tone:

"Ate, bili na."
Sister, buy.

"Ate, pasok na."
Sister, come in.

"Mura lang."
Cheap.

"Iba-ibang design."
Different designs.

"Ate, halina."
Sister, come.

I bought barongs for my nephews (PhP150 or US$3 each for the smaller ones and PhP250 or US$5 for the bigger one) and a hand-painted hand-embroidered formal Filipiniana outfit for me (PhP1000 or US$20). Embroidered women's blouses and contemporary embroidered men's shirts are PhP250 or US$5 each. Pashmina shawls are PhP100 or US$2 each. Sundresses are PhP120 or US$2.40 each. I found materials for business suits at PhP250 or US$5 per yard, and lining material for PhP30 or 60 cents per yard. There are very few vendors who carry native crafts.*

However, in Divisoria, you have to be very careful with your wallet; there are a lot of pickpockets that prey on people who are engrossed in their negotiations with vendors. And you have to wear decent walking shoes; you'll be walking a lot. Divisoria is the size of a small community. And you have to roam around and check prices from a few vendors before buying; otherwise, you'll feel bad when you find a cheaper price for something you already bought.

There are different methods of haggling:

The half-price method: Ask how much an item is. When the vendor gives a price, offer half of it. If the vendor counter-offers, increase your offer by a little bit. If the vendor still counter-offers or refuses, start walking away. They might still move the price lower to keep you from leaving.

The final price method: When the vendor gives a price, ask what the final price is. The final price is the lowest they will go. This method saves haggling time.

The wholesale discount method: If you're buying several pieces, ask for the wholesale price.

Sometimes, when you haggle, the vendor would refuse to go below a price and say it's "sulit" or "sagad". It means that the quoted price is their cost basis or pretty close to it.

Tips:

• Vendors are more willing to negotiate if you haggle a lot before walking away. It shows that you're really interested in purchasing the item if you find the right price.
• You can get volume discounts with as few as three pieces of the same item. You can even get volume discounts if you buy one each of several items from the same vendor.
• Keep an eye on what the vendor puts in the bag. Make sure everything you bought is in there. Make sure the sizes are correct. Inspect each item for defects.
• If you find imperfections, you can use that as a haggling point.
• Vendors quote higher prices for foreigners. If you don't look like a Filipino, expect to pay more. Even if you're a balikbayan, if you have even a slight accent (like I do), bring a local with you and keep your mouth shut.**

* Cubao (another district in Manila) might be a better place for native crafts, but I didn't have time to go.
** When my mom visited the Philippines five years ago after a long absence, she ventured to Divisoria by herself. A vendor said, "Balikbayan kayo, ano?" You're a balikbayan, aren't you? She asked how the vendor knew, and the vendor replied that she could tell from the way my mom held herself, the way she moved, the way she talked, and the way she dressed. The vendor added, "Iba ang amoy ng balikbayan." The balikbayan's scent is different.