Filipinos flock to Divisoria for budget-friendly gifts, decor ahead of Christmas

Several shoppers visited Divisoria in Manila over the weekend to buy gifts for their loved ones with two weeks left before Christmas.

According to Dano Tingcungco’s report in “24 Oras Weekend,” the shopping hub – known for being a hub of affordable items – was heavily crowded on a Sunday.

For instance, Shiela and Belle managed to buy gifts for their upcoming Christmas party under a P2,000 budget.

They were able to buy toys and gifts worth P35 to P200 – and that’s without haggling for lower prices. 

“Mas marami kang bibilhin, mas mura talaga,” said Shiela. 

(The more items you buy, the more you can save.) 

“Dito puwede ka pang tumawad, sa iba naman fixed na yung prices nila,” said Belle. 

(You can haggle for prices here, unlike in other places where the prices are already fixed.) 

Meanwhile, Jackie went to Divisoria but not to buy gifts, as she’s still waiting for her 13th month pay. 

“Wala pang pam-Pasko…Kapag nakuha na yung 13th month pay…Ang tagal-tagal pa,” she said. 

(I still don’t have a budget for Christmas…I’m still waiting for my 13th month pay which is taking a long time to come.) 

After buying gifts, one can also buy gift wrappers in Divisoria. Gift wrappers can be bought for P20 for five pieces, while paper gift bags range from P10 to P15 each depending on size. 

Still need to add more Christmas decorations to make your house more festive? Divisoria also has Christmas trees for P2,500 to P5,000 each depending on size. You can also adorn your tree with decorations that you can buy at three pieces for P100.

Some vendors selling Christmas decorations are now selling their items for a very low price ahead of Christmas.

“Ang bentahan kasi mababa na. Bagsak na kasi sa dami-dami ng nagtitinda, at ssaka marami online,” said Erma.

(The selling price is low now. The prices have plummeted because there are so many vendors and many are also selling online.) — Vince Angelo Ferreras/JMA, GMA Integrated News