Sidewalk Shopping this Sinulog

Starting around mid-December, a shopping mecca sprouts up along the bustling Osmeña Boulevard of Cebu City. Starting from the entrance road of Cebu City Sport Complex till the tip of the downtown area, stalls and stalls of all sorts of merchandise line up along the sidewalk, beckoning to both locals and tourists to step into a different shopping experience. The myriad of stalls set shop every year, in light of Christmas, Sinulog and Valentines Day, for as long as I could remember (and I'm a native Cebuano). There are always new concessionaires every year and based on personal experience, the merchandise gets better and better every time and certainly more diverse. Definitely a must-stop for anyone, even for "window shoppers"!

Once again this year, the vendors have come from Metro Manila, Zamboanga, Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, other parts of Mindanao and also from our own Cebu City. The products up for sale are varied: Men and women's garments, class A rubber shoes and sneakers, leather sandals for men and women, wooden and ceramic housewares, leather souvenir products (with free name print), native batiks and mini dresses, beaded jewelry and accessories, used laptops at drop prices, vases and tableware, bags (yes, all sorts of bags you can imagine), souvenir t-shirt printing, toys, ukay-ukay, native food products and even imported chocolates and cosmetics. The choices and colors are seemingly limitless. And yes, you can definitely bargain to get discounts. The stalls are yet another highlight to the Sinulog season.

Says one stall owner, Janila Batalo, 43, from Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, that she set up stall so that she could look at come to Cebu to see what the happenings are. She heard that Cebu is "bibo" during January. Another shopkeeper, 21-year-old Aminoden Ibrahim, and his family have set been setting up stall since 1997 until today, to do business and to witness the festivities every year.

Indeed, the so-dubbed Sinulog vendors along Osmeña Blvd. provide another sight to see and place to visit this festive month! Step along the walkway and you'll find yourself engrossed and delighted for hours, whether shopping for yourself or for a gift for someone or even just for looking around the variety of colors and products. The shops are lined until around mid-February. It is a must for the locals and tourists to drop by before they fold shop by then. Enjoy the shopping treats! Pit Señor!