Guides

Practical guides to Quiapo's optical district, written for two kinds of reader.

For optical shops and eye clinics

Buying wholesale, opening a shop and ordering from the provinces. Start with the top 5 wholesale suppliers.

• How to open an optical shop in the Philippines
  Step-by-step checklist for opening an optical shop in the Philippines: optometrist rules, DTI, LGU and BIR registration, the FDA License to Operate, equipment and first stock.
• How to buy wholesale frames in Quiapo
  Where Quiapo's frame wholesalers are, what to bring, how minimums and pricing work, and which frame materials sell in Philippine optical shops.
• Wholesale lenses: stock vs processed
  Stock lenses vs processed lenses explained for optical shop owners, plus which Quiapo wholesalers supply each and offer edging services.
• Ordering from Quiapo to the provinces
  How provincial optical shops order from Quiapo wholesalers: payment, couriers, delivery times to Cebu, Davao and Iloilo, and packing tips.
• JSM Optical vs TKR Optics
  A side-by-side comparison of JSM Optical and TKR Optics in Quiapo: range, lens brands, equipment, services and ordering from the provinces.
• Quiapo optical district street guide
  Street-by-street guide to Quiapo's optical wholesale district: Sales St, P. Paterno St and Estero Cegado, with a half-day buying route from Carriedo LRT.

For anyone buying glasses

Where to go in Quiapo, what glasses cost, and which lenses are worth paying for.

• Where to buy eyeglasses in Quiapo
  Where the optical shops are in Quiapo, which clinics buyers recommend, how same-day glasses work, and tips to avoid overpaying.
• How much eyeglasses cost in Quiapo
  Eyeglass prices in Quiapo: complete packages, lens add-ons like anti-radiation and photochromic, and how Quiapo compares with mall optical chains.
• Photochromic, blue-cut and anti-radiation lenses explained
  What photochromic, blue-cut, anti-reflective and high-index lenses actually do, what the evidence says, and which upgrades are worth paying for.