- a marketplace in Manila, Philippines, with Juan Luna St. as its main entry point, and expanding from all sides of the Binondo (Chinatown) area. It is characterized by congestion, high foot traffic and a cornucopia of wares sold either wholesale (by the bulk) or retail at low, low bargain prices.
Divisoria on not-so busy daysDecember 30, 2008 (Tuesday) - My FIRST EVER TRIP to DIVISORIA
Funny. I've been to a lot of places, halfway around the globe from where Manila is, I have scoured several malls, markets and shops, from the glittering soukhs of Dubai to the drab Wal-marts and Targets of the US, to the colorful variety of Palawan fishport kiosks to the singular wares of Asian night markets.
After all those years and miles of travel, this is my first time to FINALLY go to Divisoria, merely a good one hour commute away from my family house in a Metro Manila city. A Divisoria trip was something that I have always wanted to do for years now. So what is the fuss all about?
I have been hearing so many things (good and about) about this stretch of bustling marketplace in Manila. Every year before the school opens, Divisoria tops the television news headlines as the place to be for moms on a budget - with papers, notebooks, pens, pencils, uniforms, bags and all sorts of school opening paraphernalia at way, way lower costs than National Bookstore, or other school and office supplies stores and establishments for that matter. To top it all, "tawaran" or haggling is very much alive here.
Christmas season, it's the same thing. Everyday, fresh footage of Divisoria shoppers and wares would make it on primetime newscasts and on newspaper banners. Fruits in season, toys, clothes, shoes, cornucopia of gifts and a veritable lineup of knickknacks on sale at buyer-friendly prices.
For years, it was always that way, and for years, I have longed to be in that "magical rush mad place" myself, with will but without the way, it remained just a passive plan.
Thanks to the long 2008 Christmas holiday, I had a couple of really bored days to spare. So when I overheard my sister, niece and nephew review plans for a Divisoria trip the following morning, I gladly joined the trio.
My 17-year-old niece, Cyrille, is a Divisoria veteran since she was 12, able to commute the two jeepney rides from our family house in another city, right to where a very chaotic street opens up to the heart of the market, Binondo; able to navigate her way in and out the narrow alleys and passageways. She knows the lefts and rights to where 168 Mall is, the turns and backsteps leading to Tutuban Mall, and the starting point of marching warm bodies that amble away to the Divisoria Mall.
For every trip, she would bring home a "dangkal" of Koreanovela DVDs, cute anime shirts, coin purses, and slippers. In due time, she brought along her younger brother Robin and together, they would be absent for hours at home, returning with an MP3 player, small and light yet "fully-loaded" electronic gadgets, more DVDs and anime shirts.
I haven't' been to Divisoria but I know the distance, the public commute and the urban legends associated with actually being in the heart of the place and haggling. I thought of these two babies and how they are able to go to Divisoria and back home safely, which puzzles me. Overtime, it became an ordinary thing that soon, my sister Venus had to accompany them to ensure their safety.
In no time at all, it became a three's company of one adult and two teenagers trooping to the popular marketplace even if only one of them needed something to buy there, like something as mundane as a 1/4 yard of red cloth to use in a school program. Each one would return with their own stuff dangling in small, flimsy plastic bags. A hot cup of coffee would be enough to revive them of the tiredness the long commute and hours of walking around would give, and all is well.
As for me, urban legends are the stuff that filled up my "Divisoria" before I finally had the chance to experience the place.
Urban legend No. 1: There are professional swindlers in Divisoria, who employ tactics like hypnotic spells that would lead you to give your paper bills and walk away without getting your change, and "fastest fingers first" magicians (the unscrupulous vendors) who would count your change, coin by coin or paper bill by paper bill, in front of you, only for you to discover once the money are all shoved to your palms that a few hundred pesos are actually missing.
Urban legend No. 2: Divisoria is a haven for pickpockets who would lead you to a hopeless chase around the marketplace once you try to run after them.
Urban legend No. 3: The underground elements in Divisoria know each other, and some of the vendors are actually their comrades.
What everyone eventually realizes later on is that there is NO urban legend in Divisoria, because all these things actually DO happen in any marketplace (or any congested, chaotic places for that matter), more often victimizing the naive, inexperienced, even the overly confident.
Despite these risks, a good commonsense is enough to make that Divisoria trip hassle-free, enjoyable (really) and fun.
To close this, here is my own findings on this case (as opposed to "finds," which I'm sure all of you know by now) : In Divisoria, all items are good finds!
