The Philippines is a country where its tourism is quite a recent phenomenon, so there are still many towns in its islands where there are no ATMs and where the stores are focused on their local population. Most of them sell groceries, clothing or crafts. In the latter, you can find furniture, decorative items and souvenir gifts. The use of wood and fabrics are very common. In fact, on the island of Luzon, in Ifugao, many of the products sold there are hand-woven by the women who inhabit the area. At the beach resorts, you are likely to find souvenirs made with shells, wood or pieces of crustaceans. In Manila or Boracay, you can find the best variety.

Clothing

The best place to go shopping is in Manila. This is where most of the country's shopping centres are concentrated. If what you want is brand clothing, original and at a good price, then do not miss the Mall of Asia, they say it is the largest in the continent. It has so many stores of all kinds that it will be difficult to tour it entirely. In Cebu, there is the Ayala Center Cebu, the SM City Cebu or the Marina Mall. On the islands, however, most clothing stores are small, but very charming, as is the case of Kalabar in El Nido. In some of them, the merchandise is European, in others, the goods are unique and handmade. The price, in general, is very economical.

Crafts

There is an abundance of crafted products in the Philippines. Shops full of handmade products of all kinds: clothing, accessories, furniture, ashtrays, souvenirs, cushions, blankets and more. In Manila, the most authentic craft shops can be found in Intramuros, the old part of the city. On the rest of the islands, you will also find small shops full of artisan products. In Palawan, for example, the area of El Nido is full of them. One of the best is Kashiecas. In Boracay, however, the best shop to visit is Plazoleta, where you can find leather goods, paintings, as well as different handicrafts.

Electronics

Although the country is much cheaper than in the UK, as in other parts of Asia, electronic items are not particularly discounted. If you are in Manila, one of the best options is to walk through Old Downtown Quiapo, where there are several electronics stores. Also in the shopping centres of SM Supermalls have a great variety.

Pearls

The Philippines is one of the largest pearl producers in the world. The oldest pearl farms in the country are located in Palawan and were created by Jacques Branell in 1979, who in turn was the first to harvest golden pearls. Although in the big cities there are jewellers where you can easily buy them if you are looking for something cheaper you can look for them in many of the craft shops or in the markets of the small towns, although the quality will not be as great.

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