5 Dependable Malls in Metro Manila for Last-Minute Christmas Shopping

Where: 3 General Romulo Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City

Cubao Expo is filled with one-of-a-kind collectibles and trinkets you won’t find anywhere else. From collector’s items to classic comics sold at three for PhP100 to vinyl records for as low as PhP10 each, the place is brimming with items that scream pop culture, novelty, and eccentricity. After you’re done Christmas shopping, you can also grab a bite at one of Cubao Expo’s hole-in-the-wall restaurants or even crack open an ice-cold beer and take in the chill, rustic vibe of the place.

Read: Guide to Exploring Old and New Cubao Stores for the Best Shopping Trip

Where: Claro M. Recto Avenue corner Dagupan Street, Manila

Tutuban Center Mall, commonly referred to as “The Pinoy Shopping Experience” is a cluster of adjacent malls which offer bargain deals fit for the Filipino budget, especially this Christmas season. There are many indoor and outdoor stores to choose from which offer clothes, bags, and fashion accessories with negotiable prices. Shoes are also sold in prices starting at PhP100. Aside from those who want to accomplish some cheap last-minute Christmas shopping, the mall is also a place for those engrossed in Filipino culture as it stands on a part of an old railway station, and Andres Bonifacio’s shrine could also be seen across Tutuban Center Main Station’s entrance.

Where: Ortigas Avenue corner E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Pasig City

Literally meaning “a collection of little stores,” Tiendesitas is managed by the team behind Greenhills Shopping Center. Made up of twelve pavilions inspired by Maranao architecture, it is stylized to emulate an “urban retreat” where shoppers can walk around in wide-opened villages with hammocks scattered all over the area and old kalesa (carriage) wheels transformed into chandeliers are placed in the restrooms. For Christmas gift shopping, Tiendesitas offers native food, furniture, antiques, handicrafts, personal care and novelty items, pets, plants, and other Philippine-made products. Fashion wear and accessories are also available for PhP299.

Read: Seven Stores in Ortigas Where You Can Get Gifts for Your Workmates

Where: Mabini Avenue corner McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Bonifacio Global City may be filled with upscale and expensive malls but Market! Market! is the diamond in the rough. This five-level mall offers budget Christmas shopping in an area where the choices are endless but the cost can sometimes be beyond our means. It offers a handful of lifestyle stores which sell affordable Christmas gifts and also cheap fashion finds starting at PhP75. You can also do the rest of your Christmas errands as Market! Market! also has a supermarket, a department store, and a dry market.

Check out our list of fashion apparel stores in Taguig or browse the Fashion & Apparel category of the ShoppersGuide Directory.

Where: Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Pasay City

This seemingly ordinary walkway for commuters transferring from LRT Line 1 to MRT Line 3 and vice versa is a shopping spot not all know about. Fashion finds starting at PhP150 can be found at the tiangge (bazaar) in Metro Point Mall and cheap gadgets and accessories can also be found on the fourth floor. Metro Point Mall’s affordable supermarket, Wellcome Supermarket, can also be found on the ground floor for your noche buena needs.

Christmas shopping is already stressful on its own but last-minute Christmas shopping is a whole other story. But with a bit of luck, a lot of perseverance, and with the help of these places, you’ll get your Christmas shopping done in no time.