Where to Buy Gold in the Philippines: Ongpin, Pawnshops, Bullion Dealers and Digital Gold (PAXG/PDAX)

This guide compares traditional and digital routes for buying gold in the Philippines to help traders and investors choose between physical bullion and tokenized gold. Traditional options: Ongpin Street (Binondo) for jewelry (18k–24k) with spot-plus-markup pricing; major pawnshop chains and mall jewelers (e.g., Cebuana Lhuillier, Just Jewels) offering certified 24k bars; and specialized bullion dealers selling LBMA-grade bars and sovereign coins for large investors. Digital options: tokenized gold such as PAXG (Paxos Gold) — an ERC-20 token each backed by one fine troy ounce of London Good Delivery gold stored in Brink’s vaults — and XAUT (Tether Gold). Philippine on-ramps include BSP-regulated platforms like Coins.ph and PDAX; PDAX also offers Peso-per-gram digital gold (PDAX Gold) and allows investments from as low as ₱500, while underlying tokens may include Tether Gold (XAU₮). Global exchanges (Binance, OKX, Kraken) offer deeper liquidity but require technical know-how and may be restricted locally. The article contrasts tangibility, storage/security, liquidity and portability: physical gold offers tangible ownership and no counterparty risk but higher storage and lower liquidity; digital gold offers instant, 24/7 liquidity, divisibility and easier cross-border transfer but carries custody and smart-contract/exchange risks. Key takeaways for traders: choose physical gold for long-term, non-correlated wealth preservation; use digital gold (PAXG/XAUT/PDAX Gold) for fractional exposure, intraday access and DeFi integration; always verify counterparty reputation and regulatory status. This is informational only and not investment advice.