The Ultimate Dapitan Arcade Shopping Guide
Discover why many troop to this Quezon City haunt and how you can score the best deals
In today's digital age, one can find almost anything online these days and have it delivered at home in less than 24 hours. However, for the true shopping junkie, nothing beats the feeling of getting a bargain after hours of window shopping.
The Dapitan Arcade in Quezon City may be the best place to do that. It has been dubbed as bagsakan or the place to be if you want overruns of export-quality home finds. Located at Dapitan corner Kanlaon Street, the tiangge has been the go-to place of those who want to decorate their homes on a budget for decades. Some items still even have tags on them, while others, if given some more TLC would surely pass as a branded item.
Excited yet? Before heading to the famous shopping destination, bear in mind that shopping in Dapitan Arcade does not only mean the tiangge itself. From the corner of Apo St. along Dapitan all the way to Mayon Street, the whole area is teeming with stalls selling everything literally under the sun, from Christmas decor to acacia baskets. Some stalls are open as early as 8 in the morning and close at 9 in the evening, the latest. If you also want the best deals before the Christmas rush, head there ASAP, as most salesladies said prices tend to surge once Christmas looms closer.
Get the best bargains and shop for the best finds with this guide:
Stall C-4 Storage boxes
From faux leather watch cases to vintage-looking storage boxes, this stall has everything you need to keep your jewelry and accessories tidy.
Faux alligator leather jewelry cases can retail from as low as P250 to as much as P600, depending on the size. Like any tiangge, buy more items and the saleslady will be glad to give you a discount.
Stall 73 Blast from the past
It would be hard not to leave this stall empty-handed especially when you can snag quality decorative items and unique gift finds in the shop for less than P100.
Right outside the stall, industrial tin plates and wooden bottle openers are aplenty, all of which are embedded with witty messages.
Once you step inside, ceramic coin banks that come in all shapes and sizes—vintage cars, cameras and animal figures—will welcome you with prices ranging from P350 to P500. Some of these cute looking figures are musical boxes too (just ask the saleslady to turn the knobs for you, they’re quite easy to miss).
Stall 21
Walk a little further and you’ll find yourself in one of the few stalls in Dapitan Arcade that sells wood furniture.
The pedestal tables, depending on its height, retail for P1, 200 to P1, 500 while console tables, depending on the length, range from P5, 000 to P7, 500. These pieces of furniture are all made from Mahogany wood and came all the way from Palawan. But if you’re a member of some furniture groups on Facebook, the designs may look familiar as these are the ones resold for as much as 30 percent more than their original prices.
Stall 35
Whether you have a beach house or you simply want lamps and lanterns exuding luxury resort vibe, then this stall cannot be missed. It offers lamps in all shapes and sizes, which looks similar to the Japanese Shoji lamp, that are made out of bamboo. Some table lamps retail for as low as P180, while ceiling lights start at P1, 600.
Stall 40
Tableware for cheap may be found in this stall with plates sold only at P40 each. Our stylist found a coffee mug set here which can easily pass as the ones found in the American furniture shop in leading supermalls for only P60.
The stall is brimming with must-haves so if you’re looking for anything in particular, best to ask the saleslady if they have it in stock because chances are, you’ll be overwhelmed with all of its offerings.
Stall 76: Capiz Lights
Have you ever found yourself eyeing that lamp made out of capiz shells featured in Manila FAME only to be taken aback by its hefty price tag? In Dapitan Arcade, there are different stalls offering the same export quality lanterns, albeit in smaller sizes.
In Stall 76, the capiz lamps come in different shapes and in different patterns. But what stands out are its Christmas-themed light fixtures that retail for P1, 600.
Stall 11 Metal furniture
Who says metal furniture are only for the outdoors? This stall will definitely make you want to have a batibot chair as an accent in your dining area, as these are only sold for P1, 200 each.
Stall 7 and 8 Contemporary metalware
Ever fancied those geometric metal lanterns you find in hipster coffee shops? These stalls have them in different sizes and colors—from silver to rose gold no less—and they all look sleek and modern-looking, too. The best part is, it won’t hurt your wallet to bring them home as prices start at P350.
Still, if that isn’t your fancy, the stall also has one of the most unique wall decor selection in Dapitan Arcade with patterns ranging from intricate flowing leaves to statement circulars. And these pieces only retail for less than P1, 000.
Stall 4
This stall is a hodgepodge of different home knickknacks, but one of the best stuff it offers are its small collection of oriental home decor.
They have decorative marble eggs, Japanese-inspired ceramic tea cups and vases embedded with Japanese vignettes.
Stall 56
The only stall we found selling wood crates and small, decorative pots is stall 56. The crates come in different sizes, from the ones good for small giveaways to those that may may already be repurposed as center tables. The saleslady said they can be also bought in bulk at bargain prices.
Honorable mentions
Some of the best priced pieces are actually right outside Dapitan Arcade. If you’re looking for acacia baskets and wooden kitchen crafts, the stalls along Kanlaon Street near the entrance of the wet market offer the best deals. Here, you’ll find small wooden plates and bowls that retail for only P20 each, and woven abaca pot holders for P50.
Walk a little further to Dapitan Street and you’ll find a two-storey home just right across the police station that has been turned into a warehouse store. Not to be missed at its garage area are some busts inspired by Roman and Greek sculpture that are made out of glass. These pieces aren’t always in stock though so consider yourself lucky if you still manage to buy some.
Still, if those aren’t available, once you step right inside the house you’ll find the biggest collection of vases in the area that are sold for just less than P500 each. Some designs can even stand out already on its own, even without flowers to hold.
.png)
