5 Public Markets in the Philippines Worth Checking Out

Where: Captain Venciong Street, Marikina City

Often regarded as one of Metro Manila’s most well-maintained public markets, Marikina Public Market offers a clean and orderly shopping experience even if it’s right in the center of a busy city. And since the entire city of Marikina has banned any use of plastics, the experience is also very eco-friendly. The place offers fresh produce and meat at the wet market section while dry goods such as clothing, shoes, and toys can be found in the dry market section.

Where: 38 Rajah Soliman Street, Baguio City, Benguet

Apart from having many tourist spots and being one of the prime travel destinations in the entire country, Baguio City’s public market is also worth checking out. Baguio City Public Market boasts of being the four C’s: cool, clean, complete, and cheap. Very well-maintained and not at all humid thanks to Baguio’s cooler temperature, the market also has a wide variety of products to choose from and haggling is even possible. You can find all of Baguio’s delicacies here—from peanut brittle and ube jam to fresh strawberries and even antique trinkets—and since they are not yet exported, they come at much lower prices.

Where: L1, Farmers Plaza, 59 General Araneta, Cubao, Quezon City

Deemed as the cleanest wet and dry market in Metro Manila, Farmer’s Market in Cubao is easy to navigate with its wide stalls and spacious area. It is also very strategically located and is accessible to many market-goers who are looking for fresh produce and meat. Also, from its name alone, it features harvests from farmers all around the country with habanero chili peppers from Baguio being an example. It also features a Dampa, which is a row of restaurants that can cook your fresh seafood bought from the market.

Where: Between Boracay Main Road and White Beach, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan

Right in the center of paradise known as Boracay Island is a wet market that sells freshly caught seafood. And even though it experienced a tragic fire last September, it has literally risen from the ashes and still operates today, though currently still with basic stalls. Much cheaper compared to the ones offered in the bars and restaurants that occupy the island, the options from D’Talipapa are guaranteed fresh because they are caught in the surrounding bodies of water. Bargaining is also not out of the question. Prawns, lobsters, oysters, and other shellfish are sold together with local souvenirs from the island. There is also a chain of restaurants in the area that can cook the seafood and where buyers can enjoy a complete meal as well.

Where: Maramag, Bukidnon

Going as far as being labelled as the “cleanest market in the entire country,” the Maramag Bukidnon Public Market sheds a whole new light to the term “market” in the Philippines. With organized stalls, good ventilation, and spotless public toilets in both the wet and dry sections, the market also offers fresh produce, meat, and seafood which the vendors can also cook for the customers.

These public markets do not only sell a wide variety of produce and meat, they also make public market shopping bearable—enjoyable, even. And although all these public markets might not be accessible to you, you should definitely give them a visit once the opportunity strikes.