FOODIES Salcedo Community Market has become a thriving community of vendors and entrepreneurs, gourmets and connoisseurs — and of people who simply love good food @salcedomarket on Facebook and Instagram
Salcedo Market just celebrated its 19th anniversary yesterday. How fast time flies! I still remember when it started out as the first weekend market in Makati. There were only 14 stalls in 2004.
This market means a lot to me because—aside from this being “my” market because of my surname—this was the home of my first regular stall as a microentrepreneur. Our humble native hot chocolate brand, Nana Meng Tsokolate, which I created with my mom, joined the Salcedo Market in time for Christmas of 2004. I was recommended by Mila Tan, whose dad made coffee bags like tea bags but with coffee instead of tea. We had to apply for a stall with Marc Medina who legendarily walked around the market in his ripped jeans.
I remember being the tindera of the stall myself, with my mom (and later my sister, Goldee) and personally making the tsokolate from bean to bottle. We loved the vibe, sharing our tradition with customers. And we loved the community. The stall beside us sold fresh coconut juice. Across us, Tita Grace sold the best Spanish-Filipino home-cooked meals. Tommy’s Freshly Roasted Coffee had also just launched.
Our challenge was how to use our machines considering the market had no electricity; so we learned to use inverters. Ineng’s Special Barbecue had also just started out. I also warmly remember Des Rodriguez Torres who created Pamangan. She passed away several years ago but thankfully, her children have continued selling her culinary creations. And then there was Rene, owner of one of the fruit stands, who also passed away. He was my favorite. He was so loud and full of life, and was just such a joy to be around every Saturday morning.
Today the Salcedo Community Market has over 130 stalls! Everybody’s Cafe of Pampanga joined in 2008. There is also a stall selling special tamales from Pampanga by “Tita Beth.” Then there are the new entrepreneurs: Worth the Weight Smokehouse, Weimingdian for dimsum, Madge’s Crumpets, Cookies and Confections, Wongton from Cebu, among many new names. They now stand alongside old favorites such as the stalls for grilled seafood, fruits and plants.
For the anniversary, there were various activities: free tai chi class, zumba, Ati-Atihan performance, balloon-twisting show for kids and “eating contest” for dads, moms and kids. For the green thumbs or aspiring green thumbs, there was a talk on how to transfer seedlings by Urban Farmers. Talk about making the community come alive!
Tricia Lichauco, organizer of the Salcedo Community Market, shares that it started when a group of women who wanted an activity for Salcedo Village residents approached Bel Air Barangay Captain Constancia Lichauco. Kapitana Nene took it on.
That objective has certainly been achieved. And beyond that, the Salcedo Community Market has become a thriving community of vendors and entrepreneurs, gourmets and connoisseurs—and of people who simply love good food.
Cheers to Kapitana Nene Lichauco and Bgy. Bel Air, to the organizers, to the vendors and to the community, especially the suki (repeat customers), who keep the market alive! Bravo to the community for surviving the challenges of the pandemic and it’s wonderful to see the Salcedo Market up and thriving again. Here’s to many more decades of good food, good friends and good vibes!
The Salcedo Community Market is open every Saturday at the Jaime Velasquez Park in Salcedo Village, Makati from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit the Salcedo Market Facebook page @salcedocommunitymarket.