Trip to Divisoria

A Divisoria street

One December weekend, the ride I took with my sister to Divisoria ended right in front of the Binondo Church. It was my first in many years. Divisoria is not exactly the place I would frequent even though goods are dirt cheap. My memory of my last visit was almost the same as the one I had this weekend, except that this one was more eye-opening.

Binondo is always a sight to behold. It's not exactly the same as other Chinatowns in other Asian countries, but its Chinese identity, if I may use tautology, is definitely all over the place! Few more meters and I'd be stepping closer to Divisoria. I don't know exactly where Binondo ends and where Divisoria starts. One indicator I could think of is the presence of sidewalk vendors; where they thrive is probably Divisoria territory already. I was getting near; it was just an intersection away from where I was to go. And yes, where there are many people, it's as good as a street sign saying "Divisoria." I just had to cross a street to get where I was supposed to go. Crossing streets had never been a problem, you know, but I was in a rather difficult situation that Saturday morning in Divisoria. Just to cross one took me five minutes; it was worse than EDSA traffic on Christmas season rush hour! Foot traffic was unbelievable. It looked as if half of Metro Manila was in Divisoria! There was simply no time for complaints and turning back. A poor customer like me can't be too choosy.

But that is what Divisoria is, and it's her low-priced nature that makes people want to have a piece of her  despite her seemingly impassable streets and sidewalks. For someone who wants cheap stuff, this place is heaven. That's why no matter how inconvenient that place is, the good buys one gets would simply compensate for any difficulty. The only thing   I somehow regretted was not bringing more cash. On the other hand, it was good that I didn't bring extra money. Those trinkets and clothes  I had fancied would probably bore a bottomless hole on my pocket!

I stuck to my plan which was only to order personalized cups for the high school reunion I was organizing. This meant I had to come back the next day, Sunday, to claim my order.

Sunday afternoon came, and I saw myself among the throng of eager shoppers of Divisoria again. There were slightly fewer people this time. I gathered that most people would come in the morning. I would have no idea of the crowd in the evening, but I heard stalls were open even at night.

I finally got my cups, all fifty of them. Now, how do I get a  five-kilo box full of ceramic cups out of this shopping madness and into the free flowing streets where jeepneys abound? It was a long walk yet an interesting view of Divisoria market life. Other than the cheap products, I have yet to discover Divisoria's other charms that continuously draw people back to her.

I might just plan my next visit soon to discover it for myself, and planning includes bringing lots of cash and wearing more comfy clothes!

Have a happy Christmas shopping to you and me! Merry Christmas!

Divisoria image



The crowd thickens at Divisoria