Shopping Filipino Style

There are major, western-style shopping malls in Manila, Cebu, and several other cities. Some of the Manila malls are among the worlds largest. They have almost everything you can get in the U.S. and other western countries. Some of the imported goods are higher-priced but some are lower. Books, reprints for sale only in the Philippines, can be very cheap.

The local markets are more "old Filipino" in nature, and feature fresh meat, fish and produce as well as dry goods. While mall prices are fixed, bargaining is expected and energetically practiced at the markets. Southeast Asians are known for their bargaining skills. I have one of my helpers do the bargaining. I don't want to pay the "foreigner" price. This is just one more reason to have good helpers.