Greenhills Shopping Center

Greenhills Shopping Center is a multi-level complex in San Juan that is best known among Filipinos for its tiangge (flea market) sections, particularly the pearl and jewellery market. Dozens of stalls sell cultured pearl strands, loose stones, silver and gold settings, and costume jewellery at prices that are negotiable — bargaining is expected and the first price offered is rarely the real price.

Beyond the jewellery, Greenhills has cinema complexes, restaurants, electronics shops, and clothing stalls spread across its various buildings and outdoor bazaar areas. It is less polished than the Makati malls but considerably more interesting, and an afternoon spent here gives you a good feel for how Filipinos actually shop rather than how they do it for the benefit of tourists.

shopping market
A story
Greenhills became famous in the 1970s and 1980s as the place in Metro Manila where you could buy pearl jewellery directly from vendors at prices well below the retail shops in Makati. The centre of gravity was the tiangge (flea market) sections, where hundreds of small stalls sold everything from cultured pearls to pirated goods. The pearl section survives and remains the best-known destination for jewellery shopping in the city.