Holiday shopping far from the madding crowd

“Bazaar" is the buzzword of many urban Pinoys whenever Christmas comes around. Bazaars are the places to go for distinctive gifts, food items, and Christmas packages which cannot be found in commercial malls and department stores. Often too, items are less expensive and of much better quality. Sure enough, organizers do not fail to disappoint shoppers, coming up with newer and bigger and more bazaars every year. But quietly tucked away in a block just beyond an upper middle-class neighborhood near Santo Domingo church is the Dapitan Arcade, a year-round bazaar which features interior décor, china, ironwork and various novelty items. I first heard of Dapitan ten years ago from a former officemate whose hobby it was to source unique and inexpensive finds for her home in unheard-of places. We had always planned to take off on a weekend, but it never happened. I only saw it for the first time this year when another friend brought me to Dapitan as a birthday treat for the two of us.

Lots of novelty items can be found at Dapitan Arcade. GMANews.TV

Dapitan Arcade is located at the corner of Kanlaon and Dapitan streets in Quezon City. This is where those unusually shaped mirrors in the restrooms of high-end restaurants come from. One stall specializes in ceramics for the home – tall one-of-a-kind slim vases and large earthenware plates with a rough finish, some with lacquered frosted red and gold and silver balls for accent. Many of the home accent pieces come from Thailand, China and Vietnam. When we first visited Dapitan in late October, the vendors had already begun stocking up on Christmas items and updating their current stock. Nativity figurines or belens of various sizes were already on display, from the dollhouse-sized ceramic figures that one vendor arranged on a white food platter to a life-sized fiberglass tableau best set to advantage in a spacious place. Christmas-themed china were also on sale – serving dishes with reindeer and Santa Claus figures or matching serving plates embossed in mint green and bright red lines on a three-layer iron stand. New stocks were coming in at a stall selling resin houses for a Christmas village, most of them costing from around P300 to less than P1000, half the price it would cost at one of those malls along EDSA. When I returned on my own in early December, I was met by figures of Santa Claus standing on the street outside the Dapitan Arcade or hanging from the ceilings of many stalls. There were Santas reading a book, sailing a boat, seated on the moon, even swinging on a rope with a sack of goodies. Santas made of fiberglass cost almost twice the papier-mâché Santas. One vendor said that the Santas on sale in Dapitan were the same ones on sale at the World Trade bazaar, but they were cheaper by at least P500.

There are Santa Claus figures in all shapes and sizes. GMANews.TV

Treasure trove for bargain hunters The Dapitan Arcade has been a quiet open secret among interior designers, hobbyists, homemakers, and retailers for many years. Although many of the export-quality fixtures for home interiors, mostly the big items, are export overruns, an equal number of stall owners make their own items and can produce an item according to a client’s specifications. I bought a curtain made of natural capiz strands and tiny shells that the vendor originally made for a client who did not come back for it. I was able to get it at a discount because its size was irregular. Fortunately for me, the curtain strands fit my doorway to perfection. However, when I returned this December to have another curtain made to order, the asking price was already more than double the first curtain!

Shopping in Dapitan is less stressful than going to crowded malls. GMANews.TV

My friend and I bought round capiz tea light holders. Its design was such that the lighted tea candle in the middle would illuminate the outer capiz geometric design of the candle holder. The capiz was not painted and retained its natural pearl ivory luster and color. This capiz candle holder ended up in Pakistan, a gift to my sister’s mother-in-law. That was in October. When I returned this month to buy more of those, they were gone! Worse, the vendors did not even seem to remember their own design, even denying that they once carried such an item. What are now on sale are capiz glass coasters and platters of various sizes painted in screaming fuchsia, emerald green, eggplant purple, vivid orange, egg yolk yellow and neon blue, among others. Moral of the story: When you spot that perfect reasonably priced item, grab it before it’s gone. Once sold, it’s history. Care for a Sexy Cup? Two sold-out items in the novelty gift category are the Sexy Cups for men and the multi-purpose shopping bags for women. The Sexy Cups are mugs imprinted with the design of a buxom girl taking a shower whose nakedness is covered by black pen splotches representing soap suds. When a hot drink is poured into the mug, the pen splotches disappear. Meanwhile, the colorful shopping bags are made of thick nylon with designs of flowers, polka dots, hearts, and animal prints. They can be folded to fit in their own cute little bag holders. At commercial malls, they are sold for twice their price in Dapitan. Of course, for the savvy shopaholic, the ultimate bazaar haven will always be Divisoria, which sells everything at bargain prices. Dapitan, however, has its own advantages: the place is not as crowded, parking space is almost always available, and rates are reasonable. The arcade is accessible to public transport and is within walking distance to the residents of the nearby neighborhood, and it is open daily throughout the year. - YA, GMANews.TV How to get there: From Quezon Avenue going towards Welcome Rotonda, on the boundary between Quezon City and Manila, take a right at Kanlaon street at the corner of Burger King, then go down about three blocks. When you see cars parked on both sides of the streets and rough-looking men trying to flag down your vehicle to offer parking space, you’ve reached Dapitan Arcade. The bazaar is open from 9 am to 9 pm daily.