Vigan Shopping

Souvenir shopping in Calle Crisologo is fun and easier but if you want to get much more value for your money why not just go to the public market, they also have the same items sold in Calle Crisologo but with a cheaper price. If you're a local traveler and is used to going to a public market, it's better off to just buy your pasalubong there, prices of goods sold at Calle Crisologo are a little higher than the ones in the public market. The market is big, clean, organized and offers a wide selection of items (it's a dry and wet market) but they don't open really early like the ones here in Manila and they also close their stores early at night. At about 6:00 pm most of the stores are already closed.

What to buy: All your pasalubong (Blankets, trinkets, coin purses, fans, bags, Vigan longganisa, bagnet, vinegar and a lot more)

What to pay: Pesos, just cash

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See how the Burnay jars are made here at the Pagburnayan Pottery Makers. You can buy your souvenir burnay jars from this place. Price is 3 jars for a 100 pesos or 35 pesos each (for small jars only). Make sure to come to this place early, way before or after lunch time because pottery makers have lunch breaks, you will not be able to see them make the jars if you come at 12 noon.

What to buy: Burnay jars or terracotta jars, tiles

What to pay: Just cash

Along the road going to Vigan you can see this Pasalubong Center where you can buy many pasalubong (present) from near by provinces.

What to buy: Dont forget to buy there delicious chichacorn with different flavor.

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Don’t forget to buy calamay (rice cake) if you visit Candon City Ilocos Sur
The Philippines breaks a four year old Guinness Book of World Record held by Japan.
The residents of Candon City in Ilocos Sur surpassed the world's heaviest rice cake recorded in the Guinness Book of World Record.
A giant calamay (rice cake) weighing 2,547 kilograms was baked in the city, breaking the current world record of 2,097 kilograms set by Japan in 2002.
At least 10,000 people including foreign and local tourists witnessed and tasted the giant rice cake. The sweet delicacy was prepared as main attraction for this year's summer festival in the city.
It was baked for three days by 45 people using 132 vats. Its ingredients were 2,000 coconuts, 200 gantas of ground rice and 1,200 kilos of brown sugar
Calamay a sticky concoction is the city's favorite gift to friends and relatives.

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What to buy: The most common any place souvenir which you can give to friends is a shirt. There are a lot of shops along Crisologo street that sell shirts. But make sure you canvass for prices first before buying from the first store you visit. The computer printed shirts (the nicest) cost P200, while the more common ones cost P100 to P150. The Blue Corner brand of shirts has good quality, and lots of designs to choose from. There are also some white shirts which you can buy at P160 for two pieces. I think the shirts are priced ok along crisologo. DO NOT BU Y the shirts in the stalls inside the Jar Factories. They sell it at higher prices.

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The place is actually a jar factory. But there are stalls at the entrance selling all kinds of souvenirs, exactly the same as those sold along crisologo street. but here, the bags are definitely cheaper. I was able to buy 3 bags, those that cost P350 in crisologo were sold to me at P200. These are the handmade banig bags that has different colors and are varnished. I also bought an evening bag at P100 and I saw it along crisologo, sold at P170. So when you come to Pagburnayan to see how the jars are made, check out the bags too.

What to buy: The clay ashtrays however are very expensive in the Jar Factories. I was looking for an ashtray encarved with the vigan name for my tito ted, and they offered it to me at P150. I didnt buy it of course. I bought from one of the stores in crisologo at P15. Imagine the price difference!

I wrote rave reviews of Mercedes Parel's antique shop in Vigan April 2007, as soon as I got back from vacation with my husband and our 3 kids. I said the owner, Manang Merced, seemed sincere and honest. NOT! I was terribly, horribly disappointed when the antique furnishings I ordered from her were finally delivered this month. We agreed on her waxing the platerias, the pillow rack, butakas, diividers I ordered from her with antique finish. Instead, they smelled of rot, were thick with dirt, grime, cobwebs and dust. And worst of all, included in her delivery were what seemed like the whole roach population of Vigan. When I called her, did she say "I'm sorry." Na-ah. She said, "I had them waxed. They are so clean, doctora." Ang hard ng face diba? Steer clear of this ukinam. Go instead to the pricier but more pro antique dealers like Lucy Barba and Linda Lopez. I ordered from them too and business was a breeze.

What to buy: The computer tables made of old wood from Lucy's. Only 5k. Beautiful! With delivery. Butakas, dividers, console tables---furniture in Vigan is beautiful and wonderfully priced.

Along Heritage street, they sell inabel, ini-sa (cotton used as mosquitera),and cotton blankets,pillow cases etc.

What to buy: Inisa' is number one in my list since I'm planning to use these for my curtains and as drapes for my bed . I also bought a lot of white cotton blankets .