138 – Cebu’s Divisoria
Downtown Cebu is known for so many things – historical land marks, prestigious universities, and cheap finds. When you want to buy affordable cellphones, you go downtown. If you want to buy hard-to-find auto parts, you go downtown. When you want to buy cheap apparel such as dresses, bags, and shoes from China & Bangkok, you go downtown. There are so many things to discover there and one place I’d like to share with you is 138 Mall.
138 Mall is located along Colon Street, across a very spacious parking lot. It’s near the Cebu Business Hotel. Aside from having a parking lot right across the street, 138 Mall is very accessible with jeepneys & taxis passing by the entrance. It has Jollibee & Mang Inasal at its ground floor. Plus, Dimsum Break is just a few steps away from the mall as well.
What to find in 138 Mall?
Expect a smaller version of 168 Mall in Manila. 138 Mall has a lot of stalls which sell a variety of products from bags, shoes, cellphones, accessories, and clothing. It even has a department store at the lower ground floor which sells practically everything from house appliances/decors, school supplies, and electronics. Prices vary depending on the item you want to buy and like the typical “ukay2x“ places, you can haggle with their prices. You can get a pair of earrings for as low as P35.00, a bag for as low as P150 – P200 (Depending on the brand. The LV‘s usually cost more.), or even class A shoes for as low as P250-P300. The best buys for me though were the bags! From nicely imitated Louie Vuitton‘s, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, & Coach purses – they were all there! We got lucky when we were there because they put everything on sale before the New Year. It was basically 50-70% off everything! Their stock for the clothes weren’t as nice as expected though, just like 168 in Manila. Although there were some stalls with decent sandals, flats, and men’s shoes (Vans, Converse, etc.). I even bought a pair of brown velvet flats for myself and it cost me only P250.It’s air-conditioned too!
It was a fun discovery. Going to 138 still gave me the “ukay2x” experience minus the heat, smell, and endless search for parking. If you feel like going shopping and looking for a cheap thrill, I suggest stopping by 138 Mall. You still get the downtown experience everybody is ranting about but minus the hassle.
