⌛ Philippine Travel: Ongpin, Manila

When a person tells you that he’s going to the Philippines, the first thing that enters the person’s mind is either the idyllic beaches of Boracay and Palawan, the Banaue Rice Terraces which is dubbed as the eighth wonder of the world or Mayon Volcano, which is described as one of the most perfect cone-shaped volcanoes in the world. But why does nobody ever mention Ongpin?

Ongpin, even to native residents of the Philippines, is still a place worth traveling to and visiting whenever a Chinese Holiday is coming up. If you’re a tourist with travel plans to the Philippines, do make sure that checking out Ongpin in Binondo, Manila is part of your travel itinerary.

How To Get To Ongpin
If it’s your first time traveling to the Philippines and you’re not confident enough of your navigating prowess to drive a rented car through the streets of Manila, you have two options to get your way to Ongpin.

The first one is to take a cab. All you have to tell them is that your destination is Ongpin and no self-respecting cab driver would tell you that he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.

The second one is to hire a rented car and a driver. Again, no self-respecting driver would ever admit not knowing where Ongpin is.

The Best Time To Visit Ongpin
Ongpin is also popularly known as Chinatown. If you want to enjoy Ongpin in its finest, make sure that your visit coincides with any of the holidays celebrated by its Filipino-Chinese residents. During Christmas and New Year, everyone will be wearing red and that’s definitely a sight to behold. Almost all the stores and even the streets would also be decorated mostly in red.

During the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated in February, not only would people be wearing red once more, a lot of festivities would also occur in the streets and that are open to the public. Fireworks may also be used to celebrate the occasion.

If you happen to be in Ongpin during the Chinese New Year, make sure that you greet people with the words “Kong Hei Fat Choi” which basically means you’re wishing them a happy new year. But don’t worry about forgetting the words because they would be broadcasted in banners hung in almost all parts of the town.

The Mooncake Festival is also another grand celebration in the Philippines and instead of hotcakes selling like crazy, you’d notice that stores are selling mooncakes like there’s about to be a shortage of it in 24 hours. And do grab a bite of the mooncake because it’s tasty too!