Shop without guilt at Noel Bazaar

Noel Bazaar, one of the country's biggest and longest running shopping events, opened on Friday.

Presented by GMA Network, the bazaar features about 400 shops. Event sponsors include Smart and Petron.

Almost everything one could wish for this Christmas, from bags, clothes, shoes, furniture, toys, and even drones can be bought at the Noel Bazaar.

There are Matchbox toy cars to real cars.

GMA Kapuso Foundation's "Celebrity Ukay Ukay" is one of the most popular features of the bazaar.

Hundreds of people patiently lined up to wait for their turn to buy at the Celebrity Ukay-Ukay booth that features items shared by Kapuso artists as well as GMA News and Public Affairs personalities.

The items include personal effects of some of today's hottest Kapuso stars such as Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, Miguel Tanfelix, Bianca Umali, Bea Binene, Gabbi Garcia, Ruru Madrid, Andre Paras, Julie Anne San Jose, among others.

There's even a special auction every day for precious items shared by the celebrities.

On Friday, the two stars who were featured during the auction were Bianca Umali and Miguel Tanfelix, who make up the "BiGuel" love team.

Miguel auctioned off a maroon polo shirt that he wore for the "Niño" show. It fetched P1,000 from a starting bid of P500.

Bianca auctioned off a dress given by her grandmother. During the auction, actress and event host Chynna Ortaleza-Cipriano said in jest that anyone who would buy the dress would become as pretty as Bianca.

The auction drew a lot of interested buyers such that Bianca's dress fetched P5,000 total: a lady bought it for P3,000 and another lady added a donation of P2,000.

Rikki Escudero-Catibog, GMA Kapuso Foundation COO and executive vice president, said people can "shop without guilt" at the Noel Bazaar.

"Everything that you buy dito, may donation na ibibigay ang Noel Bazaar sa GMA Kapuso Foundation at 'yan ang funding na ginagamit namin sa iba't ibang programa sa buong taon," she said.

Mel Tiangco, GMA Kapuso Foundation founder and ambassador, said the foundation has been benefitting from the Noel Bazaar for 16 years now.

She said the foundation has many benefactors but the Noel Bazaar has been one of its biggest and most consistent donors.

She said the funds donated by the Noel Bazaar are used for the foundation's education programs.

She noted that over the years, the foundation has built 405 classrooms, adding that these are well-built facilities that are fireproof, typhoon-proof and even "anay-proof."

She said, "Call your friends, call your relatives" as shopping at the Noel Bazaar will benefit many people in need.

The Bazaar is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., and will run from November 18 to 30 at the World Trade Center and from December 15 to 18 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. —KG, GMA News