Last Updated on April 15, 2020 by ITPM
Society Barbershop Malolos
One of the oldest barbershops in the city is the Society Barbershop Malolos. It was started in the mid-1960s by Mr. Benjamin Perez and is now being managed by his son, Mr. Abner Perez. In its second generation, it is still popular among students and young professionals who want to have a decent haircut for a very reasonable price.
Society Barbershop Malolos has a hand-painted signage and old-fashioned interiors. These are living testaments that this place has been here for ages. They still use old-school barbershop chairs with matching (slightly deteriorated) panel mirrors. Each barber has its own set of sharp scissors, barber’s cape, Good Morning towels, and the traditional ‘labaha’ or razor, which your lolo used to trim his beard.
When you sit in the barber’s chair, your barber would ask you want kind of haircut you like to have. Typical answers would be “ikaw na bahala” (which means the barber will decide whatever is “bagay” or looks good on the customer), “gupit binata” (teenager cut), “yung dati” (which means same as your last haircut) or “barber’s cut po!” A barber’s cut is a generic hairstyle for male, equivalent to the Clean Cut that usually falls on 2×3 style.
According to tatay Abner, they adapt to modern hair trends which their younger customers fancy. Your barbershop experience won’t be complete without having a good dose of conversation with your barber about anything and everything, which we all know as “kuwentong barbero.”
The mixture of talc powder, hair tonics, rubbing alcohol and bar soap fills the air upon entering this establishment. This is how an old-school barbershop should smell. I somehow enjoy how the smell of the barbershop lingers on even after you walk out the door. It’s silly, but the smell of a barbershop puts a little bit of zest – you feel fresh, clean and so gwapo or handsome. I guess chicks dig the barbershop smell, too.
Just imagine you are in a salon getting a haircut, the air smells like strong chemicals and hairspray. I have nothing against going to salons or beauty parlors but between the two, the smell of the barbershop is way much better.
Location
Society Barbershop Malolos is located in the heart of the city – along F. Estrella St., beside the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (also known as the Malolos Cathedral). It is highly accessible via both public and private transport and is very easy to find as it is along with one of the major thoroughfares within the City of Malolos.
You can also ride the Karatig Jeepney that passes through this street. Just ask the driver to drop you off at Society Barbershop Malolos. Genuine Maloleños know where it is, for sure. (Read our related feature on the Karatig Jeepneys in Malolos — https://www.bulakenyo.ph/karatig-jeepney-ingenious-little-jeepneys/.
Society Barbershop Malolos is open from 7:30am-8pm daily. Haircut is P60, inclusive of a neck and back massage. Tips are not required but highly encouraged. Follow them at Society Barbershop Facebook Page.