TheBigNews: mantalongon

What: Mantalongon Public Market
Where: Mantalongon Dalaguete
How to get there: 3-4 hours ride from Cebu City
What to expect: a ton of vegetables, a lot of portrait photography and a photo journalistic feel.

Manatalongon public market is the so called vegetable bowl of Cebu, the weather there is typically reminiscent of Baguio and Benguet. I think the abundance of vegetables growing in the are is pretty much credited to the temperature. While going to the market you'd start to notice that the temperature changes drastically as you wind up the zigzag roads going there. Another thing to point out was the difference of the surrounding trees and vegetation on the side of the road. You start to notice the abundance of pine trees and other trees similar to birch. If you're lucky you could catch people hauling huge baskets of vegetables up the mountain path, these baskets can typically reach a weight of 90 to 140 pounds. people strap them to thier back as they make way to the market.

Men carrying huge baskets of vegetables up the hill

each basket can weigh from 90 to 140 pounds each

a co-worker fixes his hat

Upon arriving at the market you will obviously be taken by the hustle and bustle of the market. Not your typical market the so called "palenke" is a huge open gym where you can see mountains of baskets filled to the brim with vegetables. The variety of the vegetables were a little bit disappointing for me since i was expecting a myriad of vegetables and there was only about 10-14 different types of vegetables available. What was surprising was the sheer amount of vegetables exchanging hands in the market. As noon arrives the more you'd see people come in with their baskets of goods and the trucks loading the purchased vegetables come and go. The busiest day of the week they say is Thursday and the it was a week end when i went. So far it is still the little Baguio of Cebu.