As my Christmas present to Manila Metblogs readers (or at least those who shop in ukay-ukays), I will reveal my formerly-top-secret favorite ukay-ukay shop in Metro Manila.

Ukay-ukay shops have sprouted like mushrooms in the Metro, but if you’ve ever been to Baguio, you’ll find that the ones found here simply can’t compare. 1) The prices are much lower in Baguio. Of course, ukay-ukay prices in Baguio have gone up as well, since they know that Manilenos like to shop there (tip: learn to speak Ilocano), but the lowest price you can get in Manila is 150. And to top it off, you can’t haggle in Manila ukay-ukay shops for some unknown reason.

2) The quality of Manila ukay-ukay is just not that good. You can find a relatively big shop in Manila, spend an hour there, and go home with nothing but rags. If you’re really good, or maybe have some sewing skills, you’ll end up with one or two good finds. But the amount of time it takes to find anything nice is just not worth it.

So I present to you the only ukay-ukay store in Metro Manila that has met my *ahem* standards. Directions: Go to the MRT2 Anonas Station. Same side as St. Joseph’s church; left side of the road if you’re coming from Cubao, right side coming from Katipunan. A building is connected to the stairs of the MRT station via a second floor landing. That’s your ukay-ukay store right there.

It’s smaller than most ukay-ukay shops I’ve seen along Edsa (there are 2 on the Quezon Ave.-Edsa intersection that are not worth going to), but you have a better chance of snagging a unique item, especially if you’re quick and have an eye for these things. The no-haggling-in-Manila rule applies though. Their cheapest items are fixed at Php150.

At Php150, some may say it’s still cheaper to shop for new stuff in Divisoria. True. But then again, the things sold in Divisoria are generally sold wholesale, which means tiangges all over the Metro will also be selling them. You have a better chance of finding a one-of-a-kind item in an ukay-ukay.