Tiendesitas ("a collection of little stores") is a

shopping complex A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known collec ...

located along E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue in, Ugong,

Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along t ...

Development

The complex began operations on September 26, 2005 and was developed by Ortigas & Company Limited Partnership (OCLP). Constructed at a cost of P200 million, Tiendesitas is a part of Ortigas East (former Frontera Verde), an interim 18.5 hectare Ortigas Center development project, much like the Greenhills Shopping Center. The complex is surrounded by parking slots and is mainly served by

jeepney Jeepneys (), sometimes called jeeps (), are minibus-like public transportation, public utility vehicles, serving as the most popular means of Transportation in the Philippines, public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their ...

s on C-5 and by buses which stop a short walk from the Tiendesitas gate.

Tiendesitas Villages

Tiendesitas is a complex of wide-opened "villages" featuring stylized Filipino architecture. The complex is made up of twelve

pavilions In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

inspired by

Maranao The Maranao people (Maranao: mәranaw Filipino: ''Maranaw''), also spelled Meranao, Maranaw, and Mëranaw, is the term used by the Philippine government to refer to the southern indigenous people who are the "people of the lake", a predomi ...

architecture, which in turn traces its roots back to the

bahay kubo The ''bahay kubo'', also known as ''payag'' (Nipon) in the Visayan languages and, is a type of stilt house indigenous to the Philippines. It often serves as an icon of Philippine culture. The house is exclusive to the lowland population of ...

. The roof of each pavilion is covered with chemically treated

Cogon grass ''Imperata cylindrica'' (commonly known as cogongrass or kunai grass ) is a species of perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and southern Europe. It has also been intro ...

, and is equipped with sprinklers to avoid mishaps during fires. Duyans (hammocks) are scattered around the development to offer short breaks during shopping trips. The Filipiniana inspiration extends to the comfort rooms: old

kalesa A kalesa or calesa is a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used in the Philippines. It is commonly vividly painted and decorated. It was a primary mode of public and private transportation during the Spanish colonial era of the Philippines, though i ...

wheels were transformed into chandelier frames to light up these restrooms. More than 450 traders from

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, ...

and

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

specializing in merchandise from regions not usually found in mainstream retail outlets exhibit their wares in Tiendesitas' shopping pavilions.

Haggling In the social sciences, bargaining or haggling is a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a good or service debate the price or nature of a transaction. If the bargaining produces agreement on terms, the transaction takes p ...

a la

tiangge A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...

is a common negotiating tactic among local merchants.

Handicrafts Village

Philippine-made handicrafts (by members of Philippine Chamber of Handicrafts Industries) from home décor to fashion accessories are found at the Handicrafts Village. Benguet handicrafts are included in the limited edition merchandise to be found here.

Fashion Village

The Fashion Village showcases apparel and accessories from Philippine designers, notably

Marikina Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people. It is loca ...

. Fashions sold in the Fashion Village include fabric woven in various regions of

, shell earrings from

Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...

, and necklaces from other provinces in the South.

Personal Care and Novelties Village

Personal care and toiletries sold in the Personal Care and Novelties Village include homegrown, homemade organic soaps, lotions and aromatherapy lines developed by local traders. While these products normally surface only during bazaars, the Personal Care and Novelties Village allows them a year-round place to be exhibited and marketed to the public.

Pets Village

Licensed pet dealers in the Pets Village showcase exotic animals, rare species of birds, primates, snakes and iguanas. Domestic pets such as Labradors,

Siamese cats The Siamese cat ( th, แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Seeaam) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand ( ...

, parrots and parakeets are also available. Pet grooming and care services are also available in the Pets Village.

Garden Village

A variety of potted plants, orchids, fruit-bearing trees and ornamentals can be seen at the Garden Village. Gi

Antiques Village

The Antiques Village hosts antique stores. The most expensive item in the store is an P800,000 – worth statue of

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

from

Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. It ...

. Other stalls sell carvings of the bulol, a

granary A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals ...

god, with prices climbing to as high up as P40,000, while contemporary wood carvings from

cost at least P350.

Furniture Village

Modern export-quality furniture is sold in the Furniture Village.

Food Village

The Food Village hosts 46 stalls selling local food specialties such as

halo-halo Halo-halo, correctly spelled ''haluhalo'', Tagalog for "mixed" (the more common spelling instead literally equating to "mix-mix") is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made up of crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, and vari ...

, ihaw-ihaw, Minette's

Inasal Chicken inasal, commonly known simply as inasal, is a variant of the Filipino chicken dish known as ''lechon manok''. It is chicken marinated in a mixture of calamansi, pepper, coconut vinegar and annatto, then grilled over hot coals while basted ...

, Tita Lynn's flavored suman, Three Sisters’ Pasig

pancit Pancit ( ), also spelled pansít, is a general term referring to various traditional noodle dishes in Filipino cuisine. There are numerous types of pancit, often named based on the noodles used, method of cooking, place of origin, or the ingr ...

with

chicharrón (, , plural ; pt, torresmo ; fil, chicharon; ch, chachalon) is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds. may also be made from chicken, mutton or beef. Name , as a dish with sauce, or as finger-food snacks, ar ...

budbod Suman or budbud is a rice cake originating in the Philippines. It is made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, often wrapped in banana leaves, coconut leaves, or ''buli'' or ''buri'' palm (''Corypha'') leaves for steaming. It is usual ...

of Taytay (rice toppings),

sisig ''Sisig'' ( ) is a Filipino cuisine, Filipino dish made from parts of a Pork, pig's face and belly, and chicken liver which is usually seasoned with ''calamansi'', onions, and chili peppers. It originates from the Pampanga region in Luzon. ''Si ...

, lechón,

milkfish The milkfish (''Chanos chanos'') is the sole living species in the family Chanidae. However, there are at least five extinct genera from the Cretaceous. The repeating scientific name ( tautonym) is from Greek ( ‘mouth’). The species has man ...

, and

merienda Merienda is a light meal in southern Europe, particularly Spain (merenda in Galician, berenar in Catalan), Portugal (lanche or merenda) and Italy (merenda), as well as Hispanic America, Philippines (meryenda/merienda), North Africa (Morocco), ...

specialties like

bibingka ''Bibingka'' (; ) commonly refers to a type of baked rice cake from the Philippines that is traditionally cooked in a terracotta oven lined with banana leaves and is usually eaten for breakfast or as merienda (mid-afternoon snack) especially du ...

, puto bungbong and

kakanin A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten and are particularly preval ...

. Products from the country's premier farms like Nenita's and Dizon's will also be made available here.

Delicacies

In the Delicacies Village, vendors sell small food offerings suitable for

pasalubong ''Pasalubong'' (Tagalog, " omethingfor when you welcome me") is the Filipino tradition of travellers bringing gifts from their destination to people back home. ''Pasalubong'' can be any gift or souvenir brought for family or friends after bei ...

include Vigan's

empanada An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spanish, other Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world. The name comes from the Spanish (to bread, i.e., ...

and

longganisa Longaniza (, or ) is a Spanish sausage (embutido) similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portuguese linguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region. It is popular in the cuisines ...

, Tacloban's suman sa latik, chocolate suman, ube suman, langka suman and Cebu's famous danggit. Fresh fruits from the Davao Region like durian,

mangosteen Mangosteen (''Garcinia mangostana''), also known as the purple mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to tropical lands surrounding the Indian Ocean. Its origin is uncertain due to widespread prehistoric cultivation. ...

and mangoes among others to organic and fresh vegetables from

Baguio Baguio ( , ), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...

and Benguet are also available. Seafood sold in the Delicacies Village include special dried fish and pili from the

Bicol Region Bicol, known formally as the Bicol Region or colloquially as Bicolandia ( bcl, Rehiyon kan Bikol; Rinconada Bikol: ''Rehiyon ka Bikol''; Waray Sorsogon, Masbateño: ''Rehiyon san Bikol''; tl, Rehiyon ng Bikol), is an administrative region of ...

, famous balut from Pateros, tuna from

GenSan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital ...

, crispy shrimps, cornick, and bagnet from

Ilocos Ilocos Region ( ilo, Rehion/Deppaar ti Ilocos; pag, Sagor na Baybay na Luzon/Rehiyon Uno; tl, Rehiyon ng Ilocos) is an administrative region of the Philippines, designated as Region I, occupying the northwestern section of Luzon and part of ...

taba ng talangka ''Taba ng talangka'' (), also known simply as ''aligi'' (; es, arigue o es, label=none, aligué), is a Filipino seafood paste derived from the roe and reddish or orange tomalley of river swimming crabs or Asian shore crabs (''talangka''). ...

, biurong dalag, bottled smoked fish and oysters from

Aklan Aklan, officially the Province of Aklan ( Akeanon: ''Probinsya it Akean'' k'ɣan hil, Kapuoran sang Aklan; tl, Lalawigan ng Aklan), is a province in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Its capital is Kalibo. The province is situa ...

and the well-loved boneless

bangus The milkfish (''Chanos chanos'') is the sole living species in the family Chanidae. However, there are at least five extinct genera from the Cretaceous. The repeating scientific name (tautonym) is from Greek ( ‘mouth’). The species has many ...

from

Dagupan City Dagupan, officially the City of Dagupan ( pag, Siyudad na Dagupan, ilo, Siudad ti Dagupan, fil, Lungsod ng Dagupan), is a 2nd class independent component city in the Ilocos Region, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populati ...

. Many varieties of rice to cook are sold here, from Nueva Ecija's Jasponica and Balatinao from Benguet.

Exhibits

An area in Tiendesitas is dedicated to special trade shows, exhibits, and unique Filipino cultural presentations that are scheduled year-round. The Tiendesitas opening in September 2005 began with a week-long Bonsai exhibit at the People's Village and was followed in October by an antiques exhibit.

Calesa Rides

Shoppers can take

calesa A kalesa or calesa is a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used in the Philippines. It is commonly vividly painted and decorated. It was a primary mode of public and private transportation during the Spanish colonial era of the Philippines, though ...

rides through the complex. During the opening, there were only three calesas available. Since then, more calesas have been operating in the area.

Entertainment

Tiendesitas provides live entertainment daily starting at 8:30 PM. Live bands perform in the middle of Tiendesitas.http://www.tiendesitas.com.ph/band.asp On Sundays, along with the live band, the Bughaw Cultural Dance Group regularly performs, allowing visitors to witness traditional Filipino dances.

References

External links

New Shopping Destination Rises in OrtigasYuga's Photo GalleryWorld of Cat Show at Tiendesitas
{{Ortigas Center Retail markets in Metro Manila Buildings and structures in Pasig Ortigas Center