I first made this blog 15 years ago if I am not mistaken.
This is a story of a man who went with his parents to Quiapo to buy budget-friendly pants.
The pants in particular are Wrangler Hawleys.
These pants turn from long pants to shorts within seconds.
Last Saturday, I went to Quiapo in search of Hawleys. Made by Wrangler, this is the only pair of pants that brings me comfort. A Hawley has a detachable sleeve that in an instant will turn your pants into a pair of shorts and vice versa. The idea of the pants is to mix style and comfort and for a fat guy like me… that’s bliss.
A few months ago, I bought two pairs of Hawleys but the tailor altered my pants wrong. That’s why I wanted to return to that place to search for more Hawleys. I went to Trinoma and SM North to find Hawleys and while they are easy to find, they are worth around 1700 to 1800 pesos.
Now a pair of pants usually are in that price range but when I bought my gear in Isetann Quiapo, it was just for a mere 650 pesos. Stores in Quiapo are clearance shops. While the quality of the product may be iffy, it is original.
When I returned to Isetann, the Hawleys have long been gone. However, there are still a bunch of other Wrangler and other garments in Isetann that could suit you. When I went to SM Carriedo (or SM Quiapo), I saw a pair of non-detachable Hawleys worth 650 pesos. I hate that it’s partly what I wanted but it’s still cool nonetheless. I also got a bunch of pants that mixes style and relief.
But hey, I’ll just have to remind you that Quiapo isn’t for the germophobes and the sosyals because you’ll be checking out places with water puddles, garbage, dust, and a lot of sweaty people. While Quiapo has cleaned up its act as the years went by, crime won’t rest at a sight of a shiny and shimmering idiot unnecessarily parading his or her riches. There are also ways to go to Quiapo and one of the worst things people could do is by going with a vehicle. Besides the crime hazards, the streets are pretty narrow because of the vendors and the people. In the times we went to Quiapo we parked our car in Walter Mart Munoz and took an LRT to Carriedo. Another way is to park it somewhere in the U-Belt area or better yet, commute directly to Quiapo from your house.
Finally, you need to know what exactly you’ll get in Quiapo. Garments are safe except for shoes. Sometimes your pants will have stains or punctures. They sell crappy toys. Actually, they sell bogus jerseys that scream fraud even from afar.
A clean comfort room is out of the question.
But as mentioned, you also go to Quiapo because of the great things it can also give you. Quiapo is a haven for amateur photographers and for wedding stuff. After buying discounted products, you can also get your devotion in Quiapo Church. Gone are the days where the vicinity of the place has pirated DVDs and porn but Quiapo can offer something that you could use.
Hell, maybe you can check out the place if you need to hunt for something.
Just like what I did with my Hawleys.
Game over.