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Sulit Tiangges in the Philippines for Budget Shoppers

The holiday season for the typical Pinoy isn’t complete without a trip to the tiangge or flea market that offers bagsak presyo items to shoppers. Even if online shopping sites provide an easy alternative especially now that we are still facing a pandemic, nothing beats the experience of searching the best deals at every tiangge stall and haggling to get the lowest price possible.

If online shopping isn’t your thing, consider value-for-money tiangges in the Philippines. Just remember to follow health and safety guidelines such as wearing a face mask and physical distancing.

Taytay Tiangge

Photo by Doug Marasigan via Wikimedia Commons

Best place to shop for: Clothes, shoes, sportswear, bags, novelty items

Taytay, the country’s garment capital,  is home to the perfect budget shopping destination for Pinoy fashionistas: Taytay Tiangge.

Cheap meets quality in this popular fashion flea market. Designed and manufactured locally, product selections in Taytay Tiangge include shirts, blouses, dresses, shorts, pants, skirts, sportswear, sleepwear, bags, and more. It’s advisable to go for a Taytay tiangge haul since prices here are even lower^[1] than in Divisoria, Baclaran, and Greenhills. Shoppers also get discounts when they buy in bulk.

Taytay Tiangge Schedule

Although shopping stalls open daily from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., the best days to visit are Mondays and Thursdays when new stocks arrive. Early morning shopping on Tuesdays or Fridays is also great because all the stalls are open. Stalls in Taytay Tiangge are typically open every Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Taytay Tiangge Address

Manila East Compound, Taytay, Rizal

How to go to Taytay Tiangge

• From Makati: Take the UV Express with Tikling signage (vans pick up passengers along Valero street), alight at Tikling and take a jeep going to Taytay Palengke or Binangonan. The line for this jeepney route is at the other side of the road, in front of McDonald’s. Alight at Taytay Tiangge.
• From any LRT-2 station: Take the train and get off at Santolan station. Ride a jeep to Angono and get off at Taytay Bagong Palengke.
• From Cubao/EDSA-Shaw: Take a jeep or UV Express to Taytay/Angono/Binangonan. Get off at Taytay Bagong Palengke.
• From Quiapo/Sta. Mesa/Ortigas: Ride a G-Liner/RRCG bus, jeep, or UV Express to Taytay. Get off at Taytay Bagong Palengke.
• From Commonwealth Ave./Fairview: Take a jeep or UV Express to Sta. Lucia. Ride a Taytay/Angono/Binangonan jeep. Get off at Taytay Bagong Palengke.

Divisoria

Photo from @annameilee

Best place to shop for: Clothes, accessories, footwear, gadgets, and novelty items

Divisoria is the ultimate bargain shopping destination for all seasons, brimming with tiangges that offer wide selections of wholesale and retail products. Thanks to the recent renovation by Mayor Isko Moreno, Divisoria has never been better^[2]. Stalls are more organized and well-ventilated, while the streets are less crowded.

If you’ve never shopped here because of its reputation, you can now experience a better Divisoria.

Divisoria Schedule

Stalls at Divisoria typically open at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 to 8 p.m. It’s best to shop at around 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., when stalls usually open because the area is cleaner and less crowded.

Divisoria Address

540 Commercio St., Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila

How to go to Divisoria:

• From LRT-1: Take the LRT-1 train and get off at Doroteo Jose station. Walk to Recto Ave. and ride a jeep to Tutuban or Divisoria.
• From LRT-2: Take the LRT-2 train and get off at Recto station. Ride a jeep going to Tutuban or Divisoria.

Tutuban Night Market

Photo from Martin Andrade

Best place to shop for: Clothes, accessories, footwear, home decor, and novelty items

Divisoria can get jampacked during the holidays, so if you want to avoid the crowd, head over to the stalls outside the Tutuban Commercial Center. Tutuban Night Market is a great option when you’re looking to shop for more items after mall hours.

Compared to other tiangges in Manila, shopping at the Tutuban Night Market is safe. CCTVs are installed around the area, and security guards roam around regularly.

Tutuban Night Market Schedule

Stalls in Tutuban Tiangge open daily from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Tutuban Night Market Address

Tutuban Center, Claro M. Recto Ave., Tondo, Manila

How to go to Tutuban Night Market:

• From LRT-1: Take the LRT-1 train and get off at Doroteo Jose station. Walk to Recto Ave. and ride a jeep to Tutuban or Divisoria.
• From LRT-2: Take the LRT-2 train and get off at Recto station. Ride a jeep going to Tutuban or Divisoria.

Baclaran Market

Photo by Judgefloro via Wikimedia Commons

Best place to shop for: Clothes, shoes, toys, fresh fruits, gadgets, and novelty items

Flea markets along Roxas Blvd. in Baclaran sell affordable items in good condition. Haggling is the norm there, so don’t hesitate to negotiate prices with vendors. However, beware of pickpockets when shopping in Baclaran.

Baclaran Tiangge Schedule

Stalls in Baclaran typically open at 7 a.m. and extends until 10 or 11 p.m. Anytime is a good time to go to tiangges in Baclaran, except on Wednesdays (Baclaran Day) and Sundays when people go to Baclaran Church.

Baclaran Market Address

Roxas Blvd., Baclaran, Parañaque

How to go to Baclaran Market:

• From LRT-1: Take the LRT-1 train and get off at Baclaran station. Walk to Baclaran Market.
• From MRT: Take the MRT train and get off at Taft Avenue station. Walk to EDSA and ride a bus going to Baclaran. Get off at Roxas Blvd.
• Ride a bus bound for Baclaran and get off at Roxas Blvd.

Quiapo Market

Photo by shankar s. via Flickr, Creative Commons

Best place to shop for: Religious items, handicrafts, cameras and photography supplies

The streets of Quiapo—particularly around the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene—are bustling with vendors peddling cheap goods. Shoppers won’t run out of affordable choices. You can even haggle a cheaper price. Again, beware of snatchers lurking in the area.

Quiapo Market Schedule

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, tiangge stalls in Quiapo aren’t as many as compared to before. However, you may still purchase religious items, handicrafts, photography supplies, and even fruits and vegetables on busy days like Fridays and weekends.

Quiapo Market Address

Quezon Blvd., Quiapo, Manila

How to go to Quiapo Market:

• From LRT-1: Take the LRT-1 train and get off at Carriedo station. Walk to the Quiapo Church. The market is near the church.
• From LRT-2: Take the LRT-2 train and get off at Recto station. Walk to the corner of Recto Ave. and Quezon Blvd. From there, walk to the Quiapo Church.

Greenhills Shopping Center

Instagram photo by @greenhillsph

Best place to shop for: Clothes, toys, gadgets, shoes, and bags

If a cheap and pleasant shopping experience is what you’re after, then Greenhills is the place to be. Tiangge stalls have an organized layout housed in an air-conditioned shopping complex, so it’s easy and comfortable to shop around.

Greenhills Mall Schedule

The Greenhills Mall is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Greenhills Shopping Center Address

Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, San Juan

How to go to Greenhills Shopping Center:

• Take the MRT and get off at Santolan-Anapolis station. Walk to Annapolis St. and ride a jeep going to Greenhills. Get off at Greenhills Shopping Center.
• Take the MRT and get off at Ortigas station. Walk to the POEA Bldg. (across Robinsons Galleria). Ride a jeep to San Juan or a G-Liner/RRCG bus bound for Quiapo. Get off at Greenhills.

Market! Market!

Photo by iStockPhoto/bugking88

Best place to shop for: Accessories, clothes, gadgets, bags, delicacies

If you’re looking for a cheaper shopping experience in the heart of Bonifacio Global City, head down to Market! Market! right now. It’s exactly the type of place that combines the convenience of a shopping mall and the affordability of a tiangge. Market! Market! houses two floors of nothing but affordable RTW clothes and accessories.

You can also head to the fourth floor where the Techno Hub is located for your gadget needs. Outside the main mall is two rows of delicacy stalls from different provinces in the Philippines.

Market! Market! Schedule

Weeekday mornings are great to avoid the crowd. Mall hours start at 10 a.m. and end at 8 p.m.

Market! Market! Address

McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

How to go to Market! Market!:

• From EDSA, ride a bus or take the MRT and get off at Ayala MRT station. Walk towards the Telus building where you will find the tap bus terminal that will take you around BGC and lastly, to Market! Market!
• From EDSA, ride a bus or take the MRT and get off at Ayala MRT station. walk towards the Telus building and cross the street towards the Shell gas station. Look for the jeepney terminal that will bring you straight to Market! Market!

Dapitan Tiangge

Photo from GMA News Facebook page

Best place to shop for: Christmas decors and other home decors

The Dapitan Arcade is quite popular as a home decor shopping haven for bargain-hunters. Not many know that a few steps away from it is a two-storey warehouse—aka the Dapitan Tiangge—with different stalls that sell cheap Christmas decorations.

At the tiangge, you’ll find all sorts of Christmas tree ornaments, wreaths, Santa Claus statues, music boxes, and mini Christmas villages. Their prices are much more affordable than those sold in malls.

Dapitan Tiangge Schedule

Most tiangge stalls open in the afternoon, so it’s best to go there after lunchtime.

Dapitan Tiangge Address

39 Dapitan St., Brgy. Sta. Teresita, Quezon City

How to go to Dapitan Tiangge:

• From Quezon Avenue/Cubao: Ride a jeep going to Quiapo and get off at Dapitan Arcade (Kanlaon St.). Walk to Dapitan Park; across it is the Dapitan Tiangge.
• From Taft/Morayta/Pasay/Ermita/Quiapo: Ride a jeep bound to Dapitan and get off at Dapitan Arcade. Walk to Dapitan Tiangge.

Salcedo Saturday Market

Photo from Salcedo Market Facebook page

Best place to shop for: Fresh produce, seafood, cooked meals, organic food products, plants

The Salcedo Community Market—better known as the Salcedo Saturday Market—is one of the biggest weekend markets in the Philippines. Foodies on a budget can enjoy cuisines from around the world, such as Korean, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, and Turkish.

Vegetarians and vegans will like the variety of organic food products and meals at affordable prices. Fresh vegetables are sold at about half the price of those in supermarkets.

Salcedo Saturday Market Schedule

The Salcedo Market opens on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s best to visit early in the morning to take advantage of fresh products sold there.

Salcedo Market Address

Jaime C. Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati

How to go to Salcedo Saturday Market:

• Take the MRT and get off at Buendia station. Ride a jeep bound for Bel-Air Washington and ask to drop you off at Reposo/Nicanor Garcia St. (Alternatively, get off at MRT Guadalupe station and ride a jeep bound for Cartimar).
• Cross the street and walk straight ahead to Sanchez St. Turn left onto Tordesillas St. and you’ll see the Jaime C. Velasquez Park where the tiangge is located.

Read more articles:

• How to Save Time and Money Two Weeks Before Christmas
• Give Your Kids These Easy Yet Precious Christmas Gifts

Final Thoughts

What’s your go-to tiangge for your holiday shopping needs? When visiting your favorite tiangge, follow a budget to ensure you don’t overspend. Also, practice physical distancing, wear a face mask and a face shield, and carry a handy alcohol bottle with you. Shopping is fun but your health and safety are more important.

Sources:

• ^[1] Taytay tiangge: Shopping spree na swak sa budget (ABS-CBN News, 2020)
• ^[2] Divisoria Has Gotten a Makeover: We Compare Just How Big the Difference Is (Rodriguez, Spot.ph, 2019)

Venus Zoleta

Venus is an experienced personal finance writer with a background in digital marketing, public relations, and journalism. She’s into stock, VUL, and mutual fund investing. Follow Venus on LinkedIn.