Web giant Yahoo recently sent a group of Korean ladies to the country to shop at the Mall of Asia, Market Market, The Podium, Robinson’s Place and Galleria, SM Megamall and Shangri-La Plaza.

Known as Yahoo’s Gugi Girls, the crew is composed of young trendsetters in Korea who won the web company’s search for the top six female bloggers.

Gugi Girls blog about fashion, travel, shopping and dining and are considered major influences on Korean youth.

Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism, said, ‘We are happy to welcome Yahoo’s shopping girls. Gugi is a service exclusively created for Yahoo Korea that provides users unlimited access to reviews of shops and restaurants all around the world.’

Gugi allows subscribers to view the site on their cellphones through mobile carrier KTF Corp, added Durano.

The Gugi Girls were impressed by the one-stop-shop quality of local malls.

‘I have found virtually every kind of shop and service– from a drugstore, book shop, moviehouse, bowling alley, spa, hair salon, blank CD store, fruits and flowers stand, to a grocery store – right inside the mall,’ said Kim Boram.

The 21-year-old Korean shopaholic said this kind of setup is unheard of in Korea.

Gugi Girl Park Sung Hee, who blogs about travel, fashion, shopping and dining, remarked on the size of the shopping centers. ‘The malls here are really huge and you can buy almost everything you need.’

Boram agrees. ‘Malls in the Philippines are really [so] huge that they have to name every floor, just like streets.’

The girls also loved the sales and discounts on famous brands that they also buy back home. ‘I bought a pair of Levi’s jeans for my brother for a very low price. We have exactly the same Levi’s items in our stores,’ said Sung Hee.

‘Koreans are huge contributors to retail and consumer spending, that’s why despite the steadily increasing arrivals from their country, we are poised to do more promotions to their market,’ explained Eduardo Jarque, Jr., DOT Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions.

The Gugi Girls also acknowledged the friendly and sunny personality of store clerks, mall staff and Filipinos in general.

‘The store attendants are very accommodating, with their warm smiles. They just make me want to buy stuff which aren’t even on my list,’ Sung Hee said.

A visit to the malls’ food courts dispelled their preconceived notions of the country’s fare.

‘I didn’t expect the food to be great. I’m surprised that they have all the cuisines here – Italian, American, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and yes even Korean,’ said Sung Hee.

Boram, on the other hand, tried the local cuisine in a Filipino restaurant, ‘I loved the fresh mango and coconut shakes. But the best thing I’ve tasted is halo-halo, which is not only affordable but also very delicious.’

A skating rink right inside the malls is another feature that the Yahoo Gugi girls couldn’t get over.

‘From kids to the older ones, everybody just seems to be into ice skating,’ said Sung Hee.

The reviews of Yahoo’s Gugi shopping girls have already been posted on the website, and can be accessed through mobile phones by thousands of users.

Korea remains the top source of tourism arrivals in the country, posting an almost 20% share of the total figures from January-July this year.