“Fashionable
eyeglasses doesn’t have to be expensive.”
That is
the motto of Maria Nella Sarabia, the owner of Sarabia optical shop
in the University of the Philippines Diliman Shopping Center. The
shop has been in business since the Shopping Center was established
in 1974. Among its customers was Jessica Zafra, a renowned Filipino
writer and columnist.
Nella’s
great-grandfather Federico Sarabia was the first Filipino
optometrist. Since the foundation of Sarabia Optical in 1906, there
are now over 50 branches nationwide all run by members of the Sarabia
clan.
“My
cousins have 10 or 15 branches,” Nella said. “But I prefer to
keep only one so I can personally attend my customers.”
Nella’s
store offers lenses starting at 500 pesos and frames at 600 pesos.
She gets her supplies from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and China to keep
the products affordable to UP students while keeping up with the
latest fashion trends. The products are also discounted to keep the
prices down. Earnings fluctuate throughout the year but the shop is
particularly busy before enrollment and during Christmas.
The
store is open from Monday to Saturday at stall 39 of the UP Shopping
Center or call 435-5685 for appointments.
