Farmers’ trading post

Twice a day everyday, there’s a lot of activity going on at the west end section of Farmers Market at the Araneta Center in Quezon City. Between midnight and 3 a.m. and from noon to 3 p.m., the fresh catch seafood starts coming in and traders begin their negotiations. Name it, it’s there, coming from all over. Then the traditional bagsakan session starts. It’s quite amazing to witness, bales of bangus and many others, scooped into individual pails, some of them transferred to a variety of transport to be brought to other wet markets, some ending on the counters of Farmers’ fishmongers. Unfortunately regular shoppers are allowed to buy tingi (retail), as that would kill the merchants’ business. Fair enough. But there’s a plus factor to this: cost is much lower, such as tilapia at P60 a kilo and bangus at P75, a good many pesos less than what one would usually pay in other markets. Thing is, one must think of transport and time. Hence we suggest a weekly visit and get as much as needed, if there’s enough storage in your house, like a freezer or big refrigerator. Anyway, try going there; you’ll be pleased.

Farmers has undergone a massive make-over. It is clean and neat. We noted cleaners continuously drying up the tiled floors. There are colorful individual signages with attractive illustrations, signifying the particular products sold. Specific sections are color-coded. Fruits abound by the entrance, where we found the now-getting-out-of-season caimitos at P50 a kilo. Plus–one gets to use a shopping cart, offered free by management. No problems then about how to hold all the purchases (normally in cumbersome plastic bags), searching for wallets in handbags, etc.

Most of the products are sold at a few pesos lower–pork chops at P140 against P150 in other places, tenderloin at P450, P30 lower than what we paid the meat vendor in BF. Prawns (large) are at P480, certainly reasonable. The tomatoes are firm and of good size, P40 a kilo; white onions at P50 and the red at P70. Mangoes are sweet and sell from P85 a kilo. With so many foodstuff on offer, a homemaker indeed would likely go over budget, so be careful.

After doing the rounds and buying a lot, it could be time to satiate your hunger pangs with a good meal or snack. Farmers has put up Food Fiesta, a line-up that would make each day a feast at affordable prices. Called Dampa in Farmers, this is located at the east end of the complex. Concessionaires are lined up on both sides while tables and chairs (in natural finish lawanit-type wood are scattered in the hall, with enough elbow room and comfortable movement. There’s a gazebo in the middle which is the drinks counter. Staff are quick to entice visitors to their respective eatery, but they are gracious and not offensive.

There’s a good choice of food, served by pioneers in the business. One feature that would attract diners is the paluto system (from P90 a dish) which we reckon started at the Dampa in Parañaque. You can either buy the seafood or meat from the market yourself or leave it up to the one who will do the cooking. The day we had lunch there, in the company of a gracious all-female management team (Annabel, Grace, Darlen, Lourdes and Ging), we had most delicious and satisfying offerings from Trinity’s–bangus sisig with mayonnaise topping, soup of giant shells (family of diwali), grilled apahap, lapu-lapu in sweet sour sauce, gulay of langka in a slightly sour sauce, plus sweet mangoes. At the second floor function rooms (they can be rented), we noted Ofelia’s to be more popular as diners lined up. We eventually met Ofelia, who has been in the business for 18 years. Yes, some of those in the market are part of chains, with stores in different locations. Ofelia’s sells set Filipino meals, one viand with rice, from P50 a dish (rice is P10).

No market is a market without kakanin. One thing that is unique to the Farmers complex is that puto is done right there, by the lady who manages the store called Sariling Atin. She has suman, bibingka and many others.

Our tour of the place ended with a stop by the giant aquariums with dug-out water filtering system. Shells, live fish are all there.

Have a pleasant day in the market–the Farmers Market.

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