Feature
Tiangge Culture: Untangling the Heart and Soul of Taytay
By John Rojell Elizaga
Tangled in the sparkling face of popular luxurious brands and the curated aisles of well-known structures, a beloved budget-friendly market remains supreme in the Philippines—integrally bound by its identity.
Historically, "tiangge" is related to the Spanish word "tienda," which means "shop" or "store." Markets were frequently referred to as "tiendas" during the Spanish colonial era. Eventually, the term changed into the unique "tiangge" that is still used in different regions.
Since then, the Philippines' informal microeconomic ecosystem has changed, moving from the humble “bangketa” to the tiangge bazaar, with weekend marketplaces saturating developed cities and suburban areas.
The Heart and Soul of Taytay, Rizal
Down memory lane, it was believed that the town's men worked as carpenters during the day, while the women stayed at home to care for their children, do housework, and sew garments.
Soon enough, the ladies of Taytay saw this as a breakthrough to make money for their families. That's when women started setting up small stores on the "silong" of their homes to sew and sell some of their homemade garments.
The history of Taytay's clothing and textile industry dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, when the city's former mayor sought to import leftover or aged textiles from New York since he had easy access to suppliers.
Over time, prominent families in the province made the decision to flourish in this trade. To capitalize on this, they lent sewing machines and fabrics to the ladies in the town so they could start their own enterprises. On top of that, the businessman would have to deal with congested roads, heavy traffic, and erratic weather just to sell their ready-made garments at Baclaran, Divisoria, and Pasig—their routine for the previous years.
In order to establish the industry, the Municipal Council signed Resolution No. 178 in 2008, authorizing the Municipal Mayor, Hon. George Ricardo R. Gacula II, to negotiate and enter a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to hold a flea market (tiangge) in the Taytay area on a designated day and time with "Mga Manininda ng Taytay" (wholesalers and dealers of ready-to-wear gowns), represented by its president, Evelyn Domingo.
The municipality saw a tenfold increase in the number of small business registrants as a result of the institutionalization of tiangge, which also helped Taytay win the 2015 Galing Pook Award for its Local Garments Industry Institutionalization. This led to many small enterprises being encouraged to contribute to the economy of the province.
One Stitch at a Time…
Presently, Taytay is continuously embodying its identity as the Garments Capital of the Philippines. With millions, if not thousands, of bargain-hunting consumers and resellers nationwide due to their affordable yet high-quality products—from different styles of dresses, terno outfits, men’s shirts, kids' clothes, shorts, jeans to countless types of threads and fabrics—name it, they have it!
This popular tourist site, the "gawang Taytay'' market, is home to thousands of microbusinesses operated by over twenty large associations of clothing producers and sellers.
Undoubtedly, in a society where money and the unbending quest for luxury define us more and more, the tiangge provides another viewpoint.
The stories woven into every piece of clothing, the relationships made over a bargain, and the sense of community that thrives in the most unlikely places serve as a reminder that true value is not found in a brand's label but in the kindest soul and huge heart of its people.
