Bargain Hunting at the Most Important Public Markets in Bohol

The Dao Public Market is the biggest public market in Tagbilaran City. Similar to the Carbon Public Market in Cebu, the Dao Public Market, also known as Tagbilaran Public Market, is the main source of products for major restaurants and establishments in the city. In fact, some markets in other parts of the island get their supplies here.

Just like any other public market in the country, you can find nearly anything at the Dao Public Market, including meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits and grains, among others. According to the market administrator, it is one of the best places to source out vegetables since a good number of traders deliver their produce there. These vegetable suppliers come from Cebu and Mindanao, specifically from Cagayan de Oro City. The prices of the goods at the market are around 50% cheaper compared to the ones sold in supermarkets and groceries in the city.

If you want to avoid the morning throng of buyers, you can visit the market just before lunch or early in the afternoon. The morning crowd consists mainly of household members purchasing supplies for the home. In the afternoon, storeowners typically make up throng of market-goers. But, it should be noted that there are some days when the market is filled with shoppers the whole day. This happens days before the annual fiesta of Tagbilaran City, which falls on May 1. So, if you want to buy supplies around this time, you may have to plan ahead if you want to avoid the crowd.

Parking is not an issue since the Dao Public Market has a sizeable parking lot around it. You can also opt to park at the Island City Mall, which is located just across the market. Getting there is not difficult since it is located just beside the Dao bus and jeepney terminal and is right in front of Island City Mall.

It is important to take into account that the Dao Public Market was slightly damaged during the October 2013 earthquake. While the structure is still usable, the drainage system has yet to be repaired. Due to this, some areas in the market may be inundated and some areas may be somewhat dirty. Another thing to take note of is the list of suggested retail price of products sold at the market that is posted outside the office of the market administrator. You can check out this list if you have doubts about the price of the products you want to buy.

Tubigon is a town located northwest of the island of Bohol. It is one of the destination options for people who want to travel from Cebu to Bohol. Getting there takes around 45 minutes from the island of Cebu, which makes it a better route for travelers.

The Tubigon Public Market is one of the few public markets that were able to survive the 2013 tremor. While it is small, the market does offer just about everything one would need at home.

Aside from the usual food products, you can buy dry goods, from cooking implements to toys and clothing. These are typical of public markets in small municipalities in the provinces since they serve as the department stores of the place. Just like any other public market in the province, many buyers normally flock to the market early in the morning or early evening. So, you can drop by the place just before lunch or early afternoon if you want to shop with relative ease. Boholanos are known to be serious when it comes to their annual fiesta and similar to Tagbilaran City, the Tubigon Public Market may be filled with market-goers the whole day just before the annual fiesta of the town on May 15.

While the public market in Tubigon has a considerable parking area, a good part of this is filled with tricycles, vans for hire, and mini-buses. This is because the market is right beside the vehicle terminal of the town.

From Tagbilaran City, getting to the Tubigon Public Market is quite easy. You can simply hop on a van for hire or a bus headed to Tubigon. These pass through or stop at the vehicle terminal beside the market. If you are coming from Cebu, just take a fast ferry (fast craft) from Pier 3 to Tubigon. Once you reach the port of Tubigon, get on a tricycle to go to the public market.