Surprising finds at 'Segunda Mana'

My husband Riz and I made an exciting discovery this weekend: great buys at the “Segunda Mana!" store at the fourth floor of the Makati Cinema Square in Makati City. We had read a news article that said Segunda Mana is a fund-raising project of the Catholic church, so we decided to check it out. Segunda Mana means "second-hand" but we learned that the store was selling mostly unused items donated by some of the country’s biggest malls. These include shoes, bags, clothes, and books.

Everything that we bought were unused and non-moving inventories of malls. Riz bought rubber footwear for P150 while I bought a pair of sandals for P100 (originally P450) and a bag, also for P100 (originally P1,500). Riz also bought golf balls at P10 each. On our next visit, he might buy a golf driver (only P500) to add to his collection of golf clubs. Tess Guantia of Segunda Mana said the items were donated by malls to Caritas, the lead agency of the Archdiocese of Manila for social services and development. Guantia said many people visit their store not just to buy goods but to make donations as well. She showed the used glossy magazines, both local and foreign, that were donated by some individuals. Instead of throwing away unwanted stuff, people can donate usable items to the Segunda Mana project as they will be helping many poor individuals, she said. According to Tita Morales of Caritas, Segunda Mana stores may be found in the following locations:

Caritas Manila compound at 2002 Jesus St., Pandacan, Manila;

Makati Cinema Square along Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City;

Sagrada Familia Parish at 1746 Estrada cor. Chromium St . San Andres Bukid, Manila;

Harrison Plaza in Manila

Lydia Malig of the accounting department of Caritas said they receive donations from companies, which receive a tax deduction for their gifts, as well as private individuals. According to the Segunda Mana brochure, people can donate: (1) old items that can still be used (2) used items that still have value (3) new items that you don’t need (4) old stocks or stocks for disposal Interested donors may have their donations picked up by calling telephone numbers 564-0205 and 703-0201 or sending a text message to: (0929) 834-3857. The items may also be brought directly to Caritas Manila or the Makati branch. The proceeds from Segunda Mana go to Caritas projects: education and youth leadership program, scholarships for poor students, preventive health and clinics, nutrition, responsible parenthood, online job assistance, job placement, microfinance, and skills training, prison restorative justice, paralegal assistance, and disaster and crisis management. Among the principles that the project espouses are stewardship as a way of life, advocacy of recycling, belief in the universal destination of goods, crusade against wastage and irresponsible accumulation of goods, and the spirit of volunteerism. "Caritas Segunda Mana is charity in kind. It is sharing our blessings to help end poverty," the brochure said. Who knew that shopping could be a way of helping the poor! We’re definitely looking forward to our next visit to Segunda Mana. It’s like finding treasures (cheap but good finds) as you share your own “treasures" with the poor. - with a report from Carmela Lapeña/YA, GMA News