Los Baños is divided by two main streets-Lopez Avenue and the National Highway, which intersect at the appropriately named Crossing or Junction. Most of the shops are found along these two streets.
Unless you have highly specialized requirements, just about anything you need may be bought in Los Baños, from computers to fresh coriander. Some things are not available constantly, but supplies are generally replenished within a few days. Anything that has to be ordered, for example, a computer, usually arrives within a week.
Business hours
Most stores are open from about 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. Some, but not all, close for lunch. Robinsons Town Mall opens at 10:00 a.m.
Grocery stores
There are several grocery and convenience stores in Los Baños that sell dried and canned food supplies, eggs, frozen processed meats, ice creams, juice, rice, soft drinks, beer, cleaning supplies, and millions of other small items. There are many small grocery stores and convenience stores on Lopez Avenue and at Crossing. Even Mercury Drug at Crossing has a grocery and dry goods section. Olivarez Plaza and Robinsons Town Mall have large supermarkets.
South Supermarket (a large supermarket chain from Manila) has a store just outside the UPOU gate. Its store hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. South has meat (even turkey), fish, fruits, and vegetables as well as all the usual dry goods, cleaning products, etc., that are available at other stores. If you want ground beef (minced meat), South will grind a fat-free piece of your choice with a minimum order of 3 kilos.
Grocer's Choice on Lopez Avenue, previously called Tony's Groceries was once the only supermarket in Los Baños. It is now a much smaller shop, but still has a good supply of whole wheat flour, baking wares, spices and condiments, fresh eggs, candied fruits, yeast, sugar, chocolate chips, and many varieties of nuts. Well worth a look.
Blessie's Food Supplies on Lopez Avenue is like a miniature supermarket in that it has meat, fish, chicken, and vegetables, as well as the usual dry goods. They take orders.
A new mall on Lopez called LB Centtro has a Savemore supermarket.
There are close to 300 sari-sari stores all over Los Baños. They sell anything from canned goods to dried fish to charcoal to slippers.
Markets
There are two public markets in Los Baños, one near Crossing and one in Bayan. The Crossing market is open every day from dawn to dusk. Fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish are available on the ground floor, along with plastic goods and flowers. It is a good idea to explore the market soon after arrival in Los Baños, and to make yourself known to vendors. You can place standing orders with some, or ask for specific cuts of meat, types of fish, etc., to be ready for you on another day. The market is safe for foreigners (but carry your money in your pocket) and the vendors are very friendly.
The Bayan market, which is open from early to late morning, is a couple of miles from Crossing (off the National Highway heading toward Calamba).
Aging Pinoy Coop (an agri-coop) is a small private market beside the Raymundo Gate (3-minute walk from the UPLB gate), which is open daily from 7:00 a.m. It has fish, meat, chicken, vegetables, fruits, and lumpia wrappers. The fish and produce are freshest on Saturday and Tuesday mornings. Various little stores and kiosks sell miscellaneous food items and snacks. You can arrange with the vendors for fruits and vegetables to be delivered to your home.
Dairy products
Milk sold in stores is UHT-treated to maintain shelf life. Larger grocery stores also have butter, margarine, cream cheese, processed cheese, and ice cream (not all ice cream is made from dairy products). South Supermarket in Maahas also sells yogurt and some imported cheeses.
Non-UHT dairy products (pasteurized milk, white cheese, chocolate milk, yogurt, ice cream) are available at the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI), in the Institute of Animal Science in UPLB (536-2203). Fresh milk is available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays-it comes in heat-sealed plastic bags and can be frozen.
Fresh milk is also sold at the Bene Dalcielo restaurant at the SEARCA Dorm.
For milk delivery to your house (10 liter minimum), order Friday at 0918 917 9212. The milk is delivered Saturday afternoon.
Meat and fish
Pork and chicken can be found fresh every day in the markets at Crossing or Bayan and in Aging Pinoy Coop, various small meat stalls in Grove, Blessie's, and other large supermarkets. Organic chicken, pork, herbs, and vegetables are available from the Herb Republic Restaurant.
Beef is available in the market on Saturdays and daily in large supermarkets. Frozen meat products, such as hamburgers, bacon, and hotdogs are available in most grocery stores. Halal meat is available from the International Moslem Student Association (IMSA), which is associated with the Jammi al Khair Islamic Center in Umali Subdivision.
Fresh fish, shellfish, and shrimp are also available daily in the markets and large supermarkets.
Fruits and vegetables
The markets usually have the biggest selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, but there are also fruit and vegetable stands along Lopez Avenue and the highway. Fruits usually available all the time include imported apples, oranges, and grapes, and local mangoes, papayas, pineapple, and bananas. Seasonal fruits include cantaloupe (melon), watermelon (pakwan), tangerines (citrus), grapefruits (pomelo), rambutan, jackfruit (langka), avocado (abokado), chico (tsiko), custard apple (atis), durian, and lanzones. Prices of local fruits fluctuate according to season. Some fruit stands often sell small quantities of fresh vegetables as well.
Herb Republic sells vegetables and herbs.
Bread and pastries
Local bread, called pan de sal, is baked several times a day and sold fresh in many bakeries in Los Baños. Jerico's Bakeshop is a good place to visit at 2 p.m. to get the buns warm, straight from the oven. Restaurants Dalcielo (Lopez Ave.) and Bene Dalcielo (SEARCA Dorm) sell fresh whole wheat and focaccia bread. Supermarkets sell various kinds of breads. Bob's Bakery is well known for its butterfly rolls. Mel's Cassava Cake, near Olivarez Plaza, is well worth a try. Santi's, the French Baker, La Coeur de France, and hotel bakeries in Manila sell a greater range of breads, and most of these freeze well. Goldilocks, Mernel's, and Ahl's along Lopez Avenue sell cakes and pastries. Dunkin Donuts and Mister Donut outlets can be found at the Vega Centre, in Olivarez Plaza, and LB Crossing.
Storing food
All fresh food should be refrigerated, frozen, or stored in airtight containers. Dry goods, such as pasta, flour, cereal, etc., should be used quickly or stored in a freezer.
VAT Exemption
Having a 9(E) visa in the Philippines exempts the person from income tax, as well as from import duties on personal and household effects. It does not extend to VAT.
As a matter of reciprocal courtesy, the Philippines exempt embassy personnel from VAT, whose home states grant similar exemption to Filipino embassy staff. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) provides the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) with a list of those countries and BIR can, if requested, issue a VAT exemption certificate to the embassy employee. Strictly, a purchaser must show his DFA card and the BIR certificate to be entitled to the exemption. Confusion sometimes occurs because some stores believe, albeit mistakenly, that all DFA cardholders are entitled to this exemption.
Eating out
There is a wide variety of restaurants in Los Baños, serving native Filipino cuisine and western food, all along Lopez Avenue (Café Makiling, Dalcielo (next to the V-lounge Spa, the Herb Republic), LB Square, Mio Cucina, Boston Café, Eatsumo, and Java Avenue). Others are Bene Dalcielo (SEARCA Dorm), Café Antonio, Kamayan, and Isdaan along the National Highway toward Santa Cruz. Joe's (tel. no.: 536-0082), inside Umali Subdivision near the Los Baños National High School, serves Italian cuisine. Fastfood chains are well-represented, with local chains such as Jollibee, Bugong Chicken (roasted chicken), and Chowking; and international chains such as Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonald's, and Pancake House. Some of these will deliver.
LB Square, a plaza area along Grove and near the UPLB Gate, has restaurants, cafes, bars, and food stalls. There are many food choices and they are a great spot when the weather is fine, as most of the seating is outdoors. Near the LB Square entrance is Bonitos, which offers a good range of Filipino BBQ and western cuisine. They make their own pasta by hand.
Papu's, a popular siomai (Chinese-style dumplings) place among university students, is found across KFC near Vega Centre.
Faustina's is a small restaurant that serves good food and offers catering services. From LB Crossing, take a "U.P. College Kanan" jeepney and get off at Raymundo Gate. Bookings are preferable. Call (049) 501-1509/576-1028 or email celinehabs@hotmail.com.
On the road to Calamba is 88, a Korean restaurant that serves authentic Korean food. In Calamba, just before the turning to the SLEX, there is a good Japanese restaurant called Ippon Yari.
In San Pablo City, the Palmeras Restaurant serves Filipino food and has music. It is located in Ultimart (turn left near the SSS). Ugu's Pottery is also in San Pablo City, Laguna; it has a nice ambience and it serves local cuisine. Lunch is by reservation. It accepts a minimum of 8 to 10 guests, but this depends on whether there are other diners. In that case, smaller groups are accepted. You can ask restaurant staff to show how they cook Ugu's specialty, banana flower in coconut milk, or have a pottery demo. The former Kusina Salud restaurant in San Pablo has re-opened as Patis Tito Garden Café, located at 285 Brgy. Sta. Cruz (Putol). It is open daily except on Mondays. Contact them at 725-2686/724-4231 or 0906-443-9092 (Shirley), or email pgcafe_putol@yahoo.com and visit www.patistitogardencafe.com.
Some restaurants may change names over time and new ones may appear. It is wise to ask around for restaurants that others have tried and liked.
Shopping in Calamba
SM City Calamba is located in Crossing, Calamba. There is ample parking, a variety of shops, and is about 30 minutes or less from Los Baños.
Shopping in Manila and Alabang
Metro Manila has several major shopping areas. Shopping hours are a little different from Los Baños. Although large grocery stores open at 8:30 a.m., other stores do not open until 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. Stores stay open until evening (around 7:00 or 8:00 p.m.). Shopping hours are usually extended around Christmastime.
Makati has malls, large department stores, and major tourist hotels. SM, Rustan's, and Landmark department stores sell everything from groceries to appliances. Glorietta and Greenhills are located in Makati. Many other smaller stores abound in the same area, full of both imported and local items.
SM Megamall is a two-block-long shopping center on EDSA, about 20 minutes' drive (depending on traffic) from Makati, near the Asian Development Bank. It has hundreds of shops, a variety of excellent restaurants, art galleries, an ice skating rink, and an entire floor of video arcades, movie theaters, children's rides, and fastfood outlets.
There are many more shopping centers in Manila, such as Market! Market!, Trinoma, Rockwell, Tiendesitas, Greenhills, Bonafacio High Street, SM Aura, and SM Mall of Asia.
Adventurous shoppers can go to Quiapo to buy beads, jewelry-making supplies, and handicrafts; Divisoria for clothing, cloth, knick-knacks, and vegetables; and Chinatown for special cooking ingredients and to eat in the small local restaurants.
Hardware stores (Ace, Handyman, etc.) and book chains (Fully Booked, Power Books, and National Book Store) are located in the major malls.
Alabang is a convenient shopping area. SM Southmall has an ice-skating rink, restaurants, and all the usual facilities. Alabang also has the Festival Supermall and the Alabang Town Center. The popular Makati Supermarket also has a branch here. A large store carrying imported goods in large quantities is S&R located on Alabang Zapote Road.
Santis Delicatessen is a favorite with expatriates. The main branch is on Yakal Street in Makati. Santis sells imported cheese, meat, fish, wine, vegetables, canned and packaged goods, their own hams, sausages, and freshly baked breads. There are also Santis shops in Alabang, in Forbes Park in the San Antonio Plaza, in Rockwell, and in Tagaytay and Lipa cities. The major hotels also have delicatessens and bake shops.
There is an Indian grocery store near the Sikh Temple on United Nations Avenue, with a wide range of spices and other ingredients for Indian cooking. There is a smaller Indian grocery store (Assad Mini-Mart) in Makati at 126 Jupiter Street off of Makati Avenue in Bel-Air. A vehicle from Assad's comes to the ISH gate on Saturdays at about 2:00-3:00 p.m. carrying a large variety of items from their Manila store.
Philippine handicraft
Landmark and SM in Makati have large sections of Philippine handicrafts. The American Women's Club of the Philippines has a bazaar once a month at the World Trade Center where there is a large selection of handicrafts, and to where, IRRI provides a bus leaving from the ISH pool at 8:00 a.m. The venue will change in March 2015 to the nearby SMX Convention Center. SM Calamba also has a small selection of handicrafts.
Balikbayan boxes
It is possible to buy things on the Internet and have it sent to an address in the United States, where the items are packed in a box and sent by surface mail for a reasonable price. Visit http://manilaforwarder.com for details. This can be done from other countries as well.
Eating out in Manila and Alabang
You can eat just about any kind of food in Manila, from a Big Mac to sashimi to moo goo gai pan to filet mignon, to curry, to lobster thermidor. There are thousands of restaurants and never enough time to try them all. Many restaurants have websites, listing their business hours and menu.
There are also many restaurants in the malls and in and around Alabang Town Center.
Other goods and services
A broad range of specialty shops and services are available in Los Baños. While it is impossible to list every one, the following should give an idea of what you can find locally. Things change all the time, so it is always a good idea to ask your colleagues or neighbors if you cannot find something. Some goods and services are listed in the appendix.
- Antiques: There is a small antiques store on Lopez Avenue next to Aqua Health and BPI Family Savings Bank.
- Apparel: Several shops and boutiques along Lopez Avenue sell ready-to-wear clothes such as 101 Boutique, Kristelle's, and Galleria Ethnika. Olivarez Plaza and Robinsons Town Mall also have clothing.
- Appliances and appliance repair: Appliance stores are mostly found in Crossing. Try Royal Marketing and Trinity Appliance Center. There are also JVC and Panasonic/National repair shops in Anos.
- Art, paper products, and school supplies: Maces, South Supermarket, and others, sell paints, school supplies, computers, and sewing and crafts supplies.
- Beauty salons/spas: Haircuts and manicure services are available at Hair Exclusiv, Scissors, Beauty Perks, and Metro Hair on Lopez Avenue and Dionne's in Vega Centre. V-Lounge Spa and Dionne's provide spa services.
- Bicycles: Berris near the Crossing market has new bikes and a good supply of parts for repairs. A bicycle shop along the National Highway in Anos, called 9-to-5 Bicycle Shop, sells bikes and bike parts. In Alabang, near the Wine Depot, there are two bike shops. One is called Gran Trail Cycles (No. 401-B Westgate Center, Alabang).
- Book binding: Quality book binding can be done at Crown BookBinding Services at 9448 Lopez Avenue tel. no.: 536-1927, email: crown_bookbinding@yahoo.com.
- Breadmakers: Breville, True Value Hardware Store in the Alabang Town Center; Breville distributor: 0917-8447-677/0927-840-4240.
- Buko pie and other goodies: Letty's has an outlet near Agapita. Original, Mitz, Letty's, and Elvie's in Anos; Sheila's in Maahas; and many other stalls along the National Highway have buko pie and other native pastries and goodies, including espasol (a glutinous rice cake rolled in ground rice powder) and kesong puti (white cheese).
- Cable TV: The Community Cable Vision Company (CCVC) maintains an office along Lopez Avenue. Te. no.: 536-6028. The television system here is the same as the American, NTSC 3.58. IRRI housing has cable connections. A cable converter can be bought at Lynettes Electrical on National Highway near Crossing.
- Car emission test and registration: Ask IRRI Transport Services where the emission test can be done. Car registration can be done by the Resubal Law Office across the street from the cable TV office. This is near the 7-11 and Plaza Agapita area. They are open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bring your paperwork along with photocopies.
- Catering: Many restaurants offer outside catering, including the IRRI cafeteria concessionaire and the UPLB Student Union Food Service.
- Cellphone load: Vega Centre and many other places along Lopez Ave.
- Computers: Several computer stores along Lopez Avenue sell computers and accessories, (including voltage regulators and UPS) and do repairs. They can also help with getting an Internet connection. There are several companies to choose from. Ask around for the one with the best service. Prologue Computers is located at the Vega Centre. They sell and repair computers and printers.
- Construction material: De Castro Lumber on Lopez Avenue and Kalaw Enterprises and Maquiling Builder's Depot along the National Highway sell tools, wood, cement, and most things needed for home construction and repair. South Supermarket has a hardware section, and Handyman is located in Robinsons Town Mall.
- Craft materials: Maces on Lopez Avenue stocks a variety of papers, paints, and sewing materials. There is a bead shop near the Crossing market.
- Curtains and upholstery: Anilef Interiors (Umali Subdivision). Call Fely at telephone number 536-0158. Lito Andrade [Tel. no.: 0919-421-4959, (049) 536-6684] also makes and refinishes furniture.
- Dairy products: UPLB Dairy 536-2203, Bene Dalcielo restaurant in the SEARCA dorm.
- Dressmakers and tailors: Made-to-order clothes are inexpensive. Pauline's (opposite Plaza Agapita), Sheila's gowns and barongs (Lopez Avenue), and Loly's Fashion (in Anos) make both men's and women's clothing. De Jesus (Lopez Avenue) does men's tailoring.
- Dry cleaning and laundry: A laundry shop on Lopez Avenue offers dry cleaning, or you can go to Alabang (basement of Town Center), or the Wash Up Doc beneath Puregold Supermarket on Madrigal Avenue in Alabang, or Manila (big hotels or shopping centers).
- Eggs: Fresh eggs are available at the New Yolker across from Fresh Blossoms on Lopez Avenue and at Grocer's Choice. Supermarkets also carry a wide range of eggs.
- Electric pianos: Yupangco in Manila comes to Los Baños to repair or service electric pianos. Tel. no.: (02) 899-9595.
- Electronics repair: Tronix Master Inc., Alabang Town Center, LA-7 Service Town; Tel. no.: 807-3546, mobile no.: 0922-7584917. They service all kinds of electronics and pick up and deliver big units (even to Los Baños). Also, Jun in Los Baños does electronics repairs; contact him at 0918-364-3435. There is a Sony Service Center in San Pablo.
- English classes: Visit Connective at 10403 Lopez Ave. Check www.connectivelanguage.com or email connectiveph@gmail.com. Tel. no.: (049) 827-1483, mobile nos.: 0919-378-0558 or 0915-400-0291. Look for Mrs. Mirzah Betia-Torres.
- Fabrics and sewing notions such as thread and needles: Maces on Lopez Avenue has sewing notions. Farther down along Lopez Avenue is a fabric shop.
- Fast foods: McDonald's and Chowking at Vega Centre; KFC at Vega Arcade; Jollibee branches are found at Crossing, LB Centtro, and Olivarez Plaza;, Greenwich Pizza and Pizza Hut are also at Olivarez Plaza. Many coffee shops are found along Lopez Avenue.
- Flowers and plants: Cut flowers are available at the markets and at Fresh Blossoms (they deliver, tel. no. 536-5553) found on Lopez Avenue. Orchids and plants are widely available at many nurseries along the National Highway going toward Calamba (Vic's Flowers is behind the Ding Hao restaurant). Sweny's Orchids in Victoria and Gintong Talulot and Mary's Gardens in Bay are a few that are located along the National Highway in the other direction going toward Santa Cruz.
- Frozen spinach: S&R and Santis.
- Furniture: Lito Andrade makes and refinishes furniture, mobile no.: 0919-421-4959 and tel. no. (049) 536-6684. The towns of Tagaytay and Sta. Cruz have many good furniture makers.
- Gas stations: Caltex in Crossing; Seaoil (open 24 hours) and Shell in Anos; Petron near the South Supermarket; and Total further down the road toward Sta. Cruz. The Petron inside UPLB off Pili Drive usually does not have unleaded gas.
- Haircuts for men: Dionne's on the 2nd floor of the Vega Centre, Metrohair on Lopez Ave., Pietro's on Madrigal Avenue in Alabang, and at Service Town in the Alabang Town Center.
- Hair salons for women: David's Hair Salon at the Festival Mall third level; Philippe's at Sofitel on Roxas Blvd.; Joya Street in Rockwell; and Emphasis Salon at the Peninsula Hotel in Makati.
- Handicrafts: These are available at the American Women's Club Bazaar, held each month at the World Trade Center in Manila; Galleria Ethnika on Lopez Avenue; Contilou on Jose R. Velasco Avenue, UPLB (PhilNoni sign), tel. no. 536-5700; SM Calamba; and Makati.
- Insurance: Fortune Life has an office near Agapita, Insular Life at Anest Towers, and Prudential Life near LBDH.
- Legal services: The Resubal Law Office is located on Lopez Avenue across from Plaza Agapita. Attorney Benjamin Ilagan has a law office in Crossing. There is a Roberto Oliva Law Office in Anos. If you need documents certified as true copies, you can also go to the IRRI legal counsel. His office is at F.F. Hill Building.
- Masseuse: Violy, 0917-437-7184 or 0918-397-2048.
- Money changers (also serve as pawnshops): These shops will exchange cash in major currencies (unless they are short of pesos) and travelers' checks at any time if you present your passport and proofs of purchase. You can also change dollars in local banks. Robinsons Department Store has a money changer ($300 limit). There is a money changer near the San Antonio De Padua Church at Crossing. PetNet is on Lopez Avenue near Crossing.
- Music Lessons: Edsel Music Studio gives music lessons for all ages for guitar, piano, violin, and voice. The Directress is Ms. Asel Barrameda, tel. no.: 536-9201 and mobile no.: 0915-965-5497.
- Natural health and beauty products: TLC has these across from LB Centtro, tel. no.: 536-2612/536-5700.
- Party services: Chairs, tables, and tents can be rented and balloons ordered from Osboy's (tel. no.: 536-1220) on Lopez Avenue. It is strongly recommended, however, that you be careful with the balloons. Some are filled with hydrogen and are highly flammable. Other options include Nitoy's Instant Party Shed and Needs in Bay (tel. no.: 536-3510, mobile no.: 0918-556-4250); Garcia's Party Shop in San Pablo (tel. no.: 573-3678, mobile no.: 0915-691-7926); Macayaon's Party Needs along the National Highway, beside Ultimate Gunstore (tel. no.: 576-3253, mobile no.: 0916-312-9027); Permators (tel. no.: 536-0245); Popoy Naji's Catering and Party Needs at Junction (tel. no.: 536-3836, mobile no.: 0918-680-0569).
- Pet grooming service: Contact Areva at 0906-387-4460; Ace Ark vet clinic is found at 9660 Mt. Samat, Umali Subd., tel. no.: (049) 576-0675, mobile no.: 0906-387-4460.
- Pet needs: There is a pet shop along the National Highway on the right side going toward Santa Cruz. Animal food and accessories are available in South Supermarket. There are also pet shops along Lopez Avenue.
- Pharmacies: Mercury Drug (open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) and Rose Pharmacy at Crossing have the largest supply of medicines and medical tools. There is also a Mercury Drug in Olivarez Plaza and a new one at Plaza Agapita on Lopez. Los Baños Doctors Hospital (LBDH) has a pharmacy, and there are two pharmacies near LBDH on Lopez Avenue. M.L. Rigor's pharmacy can be found opposite Plaza Agapita along Lopez Avenue. South Supermarket has a pharmacy by the main entrance.
- Photocopying and reproduction: Black and white and acetate (transparency) photocopying services abound at Vega Arcade, along Grove, and along Lopez Avenue.
- Photography services: Leo's Photo is located along Lopez Avenue.
- Piano tuners: (1) Basilio Lasco, 562-3004; (2) Jo Isla, 0906-557-2238, 0922-870-0360; (3) Gerson Deri, 0928-763-5440; (4) Felix Arambulo, 0919-885-6347; and (5) Jaime from Manila, 0919-568-0088.
- Picture framing: De Jesus (Lopez Avenue), aside from dress making, does very good quality picture framing.
- Plants: Sellers are found along the National Highway going toward Calamba, Sta. Cruz, and San Pablo.
- Prawn delivery: Lito Andrade, tel. no.: (049) 536-6684, mobile no.: 0919-421-4959.
- Printing and related services: Crown Printing along Lopez Avenue.
- Seamstress: Pauline on Lopez Ave, 0917-467-6154 and at Alabang Town Center.
- Shoes and shoe repair: Fely's, just by the UP Gate (also sells shoes), and Kuya Max (along Lopez Avenue) repairs shoes. There are also several shoe stores in Olivarez Plaza (e.g., Otto, Mendrez) and Robinsons Town Mall.
- Sporting goods: Shops in Robinsons Town Mall (Planet Sports) and along the highway toward Bayan. South Supermarket also carries some sports items and Toby's in Alabang are also in most of the major malls.
- Souvenir items, handicrafts, and gifts: Shapers and Paponei's, along Lopez Avenue in Grove, and Galleria Ethnika, opposite Agapita, sell various souvenirs and novelty items: from locally made barong and UPLB T-shirts, to imported batik shirts and crafts. For a wider selection, there are plenty of places for souvenirs and gifts in Manila and Alabang: the Filipiniana section of any SM mall; Kultura store in SM Calamba, SM Makati, Greenhills in Manila, and Landmark in Makati; Tesoro's in Alabang Town Center, Ali Mall (Cubao), and Makati; Balikbayan on Pasay Road or in Alabang Town Center; and Silahis in Intramuros or Alabang Town Center.
- Tagalog teacher: Venus May Advincula at 0923-232-2027, 0916-465-8172, or 049-536-2677, teaches through Skype over the Internet.
- Tailor: De Jesus on Lopez Ave on the right toward Robinsons Town Mall, at Alabang Town Center, and the Festival Mall.
- Tofu: Local public market, South Supermarket, and supermarkets in Manila.
- Tutors for students: Many high school and secondary children have hired tutors from UPLB and CSI, or from tuition centers in LB, such as Kumon.
- Travel agents: Providence Travel in Vega Centre and Travelex, which was formerly in Los Baños and now is in Calamba.
- Water: Agua Vida at 536-6910 or 0919-787-0359; Crystal Kidz Water at 536-4693 or 0927-678-1561; Aqua Health (alkaline ionized) at 536-5868 or 0921-846-8985; and Aqua Altria found on 1068 Brgy. San Antonio. Call them at 536-1694/0927-868-6074.
- Wines and spirits: Wine Haus along Lopez Avenue and South Supermarket. The Wine Depot in Alabang has a good stock.
- Whole wheat flour: Grocer's Choice on Lopez Avenue, Healthy Options in Festival Mall and the Alabang Town Center, and Santis Delicatessons.
Olivarez Plaza in Crossing is found opposite the Caltex gas station on the highway. It has various shops and stalls that sell clothes, shoes, bangles, CDs, film, and appliances. It also has a grocery store, fast food chains, and a bingo outlet.
Robinsons Town Mall near Crossing has a supermarket, an optical shop, and a hardware store, among others. Batteries for watches can be bought here and at Olivarez Plaza.
LB Centtro is a mall near UPLB. It has fast food chains and other restaurants, a SaveMore supermarket, and a coffee shop.