Some of the most famous flea markets or “tiangge” in Metro Manila can be found in Baclaran, Divisoria and Pasig. But one tiangge just outside the metropolis is making a name as the new haven for shoppers looking for the best bargains on quality-made clothes and accessories.
That would the the municipal tiangge of Taytay, Rizal, which is supplied by the town’s robust garments industry and has propelled progress in this suburb to the east of Manila.
One of the 14 towns of the province of Rizal, Taytay used to be known for its carpenters, whose wives would set up their small garment shops at the “silong” or ground level of their houses to augment the family income.
Over time, these families prospered and soon saw their goods going to Baclaran, Divisoria and Pasig, which is closest to Taytay, but they would have to endure the distance of crossing from one side of Metro Manila to the other and the persistent traffic of the big city.
In 2010, the administration of Taytay Mayor Joric Gacula saw the need and the potential hosting these garment vendors in their own local tiangge in town. Hence, the Municipal Council amended the Taytay Local Tax Ordinance No. 10, establishing the tiangge in Kalayaan Park in order to encourage small retailers to register their businesses and sell their goods in their own town.
The Kalayaan Tiangge was an instant success, and garnered an initial 400 registered retailers.
After three years, the local government decided to authorize a council resolution approving a lease contract with Club Manila East Compound, offering a larger space for the tiangge that could accommodate even more micro, small and medium garments makers.
The flea market thus assumed its present name, the Taytay Municipal Tiangge, and the new location brought a total of 1,516 vendors during its opening.
With the tiangge firmly in place, many informal enterprises were enticed to integrate into the mainstream formal economy, helping Taytay reap a tenfold increase in small business registrants and giving the town the 2015 Galing Pook Award for its Local Garments Industry Institutionalization program.
At present, the local government aims to elevate the standards and quality of the local products through planning and preparing the vendors for upcoming innovations.
For instance, Gacula is proposing a mall-like structure to house the Municipal Tiangge, offering more accessible store spaces, clean and sanitized comfort rooms, and comfortable air-conditioned lounges for both vendors and customers.
The local government is also looking at Taytay’s garments trade as the frontliner of its tourism industry, not just for the Philippines but for visitors from abroad.
