1. Look simple. If you can look poor, better. Dress comfortably.

2. Do not speak English at all costs. You will soon realize that things cost more if you speak English or speak Tagalog with a twang. Pretend to be mute if you belong to the latter category.

3. Bring lots of change. Do not pay using large bills. It would be to your disadvantage if you appear to have lots of money. This will also make you less “hot” in the eyes of some bad elements in society.

4. Have lots and lots of patience. Browse through all racks. You might miss out on a great item if you don’t.

5. Bring a large plastic or shopping bag. You can stash your paid items here so both your hands are free to browse through the racks or grab items.

6. Buy items on the spot. Chances are they might not be there the next time you come back.

7. Do not make the mistake of asking if they have sizes.

8. Grab items you want and do not let go till you get to the cashier even if you are unsure about them. The moment you let go of an item, somebody might just be waiting in the wings to grab it and when that happens…sigh…let go. Never get into a fight with somebody over an item that you let go of earlier. In the ukay-ukay world just like in normal retail, once you let go its up for grabs. It is an integral part of shopping etiquette.
9. Bargain, bargain, bargain! P10 is still P10 - good enough for a lot of things.

Happy ukay-ukay!

I went to Cubao yesterday and realized that my precious pesos were actually worth something. For P940, I was able to buy 3 blazers (all branded), a yellow cardigan, a brand new knit top and a skirt for work. It sure beats buying in the malls or even divisoria or tutuban. I would have gotten them cheaper too if i waited a few days since new arrivals cost more but then again they won’t be there in a few days.

I went to the mall some time last week and saw a cute Mastina blazer at Theme in Glorietta III. Since it was on sale, it was only P2800. It was the perfect fit but simpy found the price too steep for a blazer. For a government employee, P2800 is no joke. Anyway, it was a good thing that I let go of that piece of clothing. Yesterday while I was browsing through the racks in Cubao, I saw two hardly or never used Mastina blazers. One was brown and the other some shade of bluish gray. It was in my size too! Although the sleeves were a little bit too long and wide, I quickly grabbed them and never let go. If alteration costs me P100 a piece, it would still cost less than 10% of the original sale price. By the way, I got it for P140 each. Not a bad deal at all.

I saw a few G200 blazers and other Mastina blazers but they were just too big for me. I was also able to buy a black blazer (sorry guys no pic) that was a perfect fit as if it was really made for me. Its fit was even better than the blazer I had made in the tailor.

There are a lot of things to buy in the ukay-ukay. I saw a number of skirts for work but it was simply too big and it would need major alteration. Polos for work, flirty blouses, stretch dresses, winter jackets, blazers, slacks, skirts of all kinds, bags and the occasional Nine West shoes can all be found in the ukay-ukays I have been to. There are blazers, polos (short and long-sleeved), slacks and jeans for men too. I know some very fashionable men who do their shopping here.

So for those who want clothes on a budget go the Ukay-ukays in Cubao. Some are along EDSA (beside the Air Philippines Ticketing office) and Aurora. You can’t miss them.

I went to Banaue and Sagada two weeks ago. I was super excited since it was the first time I would see the rice terraces. I was not disappointed to say the least although the trip was far from sucessful.

The trip to the market was almost cancelled. By the way, there are no malls that far up into the stratosphere. Heck, there was not a franchise in site! Anyway, we insisted/demanded that we go to the market. My friends were adamant on buying their wooden furniture and native cloths. The market was just a short strip of a few stores selling carvings, furniture, cloths, trinkets and native bags. The stores basically sold the same things although the prices may vary depending on the quality of the material and the bargaining power of the buyer.

I bought this piece of cloth (used by the Mayaoyao tribe)that could be used as a wrap-around skirt. It’s perfect for government employees like me who are required to wear Filipiniana on Mondays. This cloth is multi-functional too. It could also be used on one’s bare coffee table or even as an accent on an otherwise plain couch. It was steal for P400. My other buys included little woven bags with straps that sold for P40 each for our househelp and a beautiful blue glass necklace for P250. Glass necklaces are part of the traditional costume of the Ifugaos. I even saw guys wearing them for everyday wear. I would have bought a couple of them but I ran out of money. I brought very little money with me since it never occured to me that one could buy so much unique stuff in this little town. So for shoppingeras who plan on going to Banaue and Sagada, bring lots of cash (credit cards are not honored here) and not to mention a big van or bus to hoard all the stuff you buy back to Manila.