IF you've run out of overseas shopping destinations, it's time to consider the Philippines.
It's just a 3-hour flight away and has enough mega malls that offer everything from designer brands to gorgeous handicrafts.
Malls are very popular with the Filipinos who spend most of their weekends 'malling'.
The mega mall culture doesn't necessarily mean you have to buy anything. 'Malling' refers to the act of window shopping or whiling away the hours inside a mall.
Colossal scale
According to a Reuters report, two of the world's largest shopping centres are based in the Philippines' capital, Manila.
A Nielsen Media Research report found that around 80 per cent of the Philippines' population go to shopping centres.
Massive: The SM Mall of Asia, in Manila's Pasay City, is said to be almost as large as Vatican City
Around 36 million people visit shopping plazas once or twice a month. This despite over 40 per cent of the country's 90 million people living on US$2 ($3) or less per day, according to Reuters.
According to Mr Chris Balberona, a driver for a bank: 'People just come to the mall to stay cool. Life is hard right now so we don't really come here to shop.'
The air-conditioned malls are a boon in this steamy tropical nation. Catholic masses are even held in the corridors of some malls.
At the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City - a whopping 2 million sq ft property - you can find just about anything to suit your shopping, dining and entertainment desires.
Said to be the size of Vatican City, this mall is made up of four buildings linked by walkways. The entertainment centre offers a panoramic view of world famous Manila Bay.
The centre also houses 10 theatres including the country's first IMAX theatre, and the country's first Olympic-sized skating rink.
Then, there's Makati, the country's glitzy business and financial hub. Makati's Ayala Centre consists of popular, upmarket department stores such as Glorietta, Quad and Landmark.
For a varied shopping experience, there's market shopping. In Bonifacaio Global City, also in metro Manila, you'll find fresh fruit, flowers, vegetables and seafood at the market.
And like the snazzier malls, this area also offers a one-stop shop concept, with bazaars selling fashion, home and technology items. A hawker's area allows visitors to pause from the shopping frenzy and sample the best food and other specialties of the Philippines.
GETTING THERE: There are several daily flights to Manila from Singapore, and it takes about a 3- hour flight. Besides major carriers, budget airlines like Jetstar and Tiger Airways also fly to Manila.
Top photo - On weekends, you can expect large crowds in the Philippines' malls, such as the TriNoma Mall. Many families come to while away time in the malls' cool environs.
This article was first published in The New Paper on Sept 19, 2008.
