Quiapo-Dapitan Tour: 2-Day Artsy Crafty Adventure

Finally, the pictures are in. So my friend Anne said Quiapo is one of the best places in the metro to find cheap textiles and accessories while we both discovered from an office colleague that Dapitan is the center of inexpensive native furniture and crafts.

Quiapo district is at the heart of Manila where the historical Quiapo church (built in 1586) is nestled. Dapitan on the other hand is a street/area near the boundary of Manila and Quezon City. A 15-20-minute ride separates these two spots (if you're lucky the traffic's not too heavy).

In Quiapo we indulged in a feast of colors as we visited specialty stores - fabrics, fashion accessories' materials, decorative papers, etc. I even had a gastronomic adventure when I first tasted this bite-size hotcake-like pastry sold in the sidewalk. I'm always hesitant about street food when not in my own neighborhood but they looked so yummy I bought myself a piece. It was indeed good I wish I had more. Problem is, I forgot what it's called. I swear I'll ask Anne!





We were under the impression the Dapitan stores close at 9p.m. we arrived there past 7. Unfortunately, almost all stores did already close when we got there we had no choice but to come back the following day.

The morning after, we went back and it was what I had imagined from the pictures I had previously seen - rows of stores offering various items such as handicrafts, furniture, metalworks, china, vases, figurines (I was particularly fond of the huge "character Santa Claus" figurines - Santa Clause in a parachute, dancing Santa Claus, fishing Santa Claus, etc.). There were also wooden sculptures, bags, baskets, rattan/abaca carpets, shell products, toys, chandeliers, and all other sorts of imaginable household stuff made mainly from local raw materials.


Anne I and I were kind of broke all we could afford were a bamboo-rattan magazine holder and circular jewelry/accessories container - just so we could say we brought something home. There was so much to buy we went home heartbroken. However, it wasn't that bad as we originally intended to just look around and do some window shopping. Next time would be actual shopping time.


..and so we came this far to have almost ended up just eating pancit! =)

Burning Beads

A friend of mine who has a passion for making accessories have been scouting the streets and supply centers of Manila for many years now. Last weekend instead of braving the hot, humid weather, we decided to explore options online.

Fortunately, we were able to come across this major exporter (one of the biggest in the Southeast Asia) of accessories materials: DEBARO. Debaro is based in Mandaue City, Cebu - one of the major cities in south-central Philippines. Being a huge exporter, they have a wide variety of beads that will definitely suit an infinity of makers' and customers' tastes.

What I found interesting was the different categories of beads that they have. This is mainly based on raw material and method of production. The "Wood Burning Beads" were what particularly caught my attention and curiosity.

Their website reads: "No beads are exactly the same for the pattern and designs of each white wood bead is patiently drawn using a hot pointed iron. Each tiny bead is held and the patterns are carefully executed to
present a unique sense of creativity on the area of wooden beads."

Here are some of the really beautiful, intricate "wood burning" designs:



So if you're into ethnic, exotic, or simply wooden designs, you may checkout the website of Coastal Treasures of Debaro at http://www.debaro.com.