Tiendesitas
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Tiendesitas, which litteraly means “a collection of little stores”, is a mammoth shopping complex located along C-5. It began its operations on September 26, 2005 and was developed by Ortigas & Co. Limited Partnership (OCLP), one of the most respected real estate and property developers in the Philippines[1]. It rivals the highly successful and world-renowned Chatuchak Market of Bangkok, Thailand. Constructed at a cost of P200 million[2], Tiendesitas is an integral part of Frontera Verde, an interim 18.5 hectare Ortigas development project at the corner of Ortigas Avenue and E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave (C-5), Barangay Ugong, Pasig City. Other locators in Frontera Verde are SM Supercenter Pasig, a Fun Ranch for Kids, an Automall, a Wellness Center, a Technology Corridor, a Shell super station with retail outlets, and restaurants strategically spread around the complex. “Pasig City’s newest shopping and family entertainment corridor will be the Philippine’s pride,” says Cathy Casares-Ko, the head of Ortigas & Company’s Real Estate Division. Commuting to the area is not a problem since jeepney's ply the C-5 route. Bus riders, however, will have to take a short hike to get to the Tiendesitas gate. Parking is also not a problem. Tiendesitas has more than 300 parking slots for shoppers coming in with vehicles.
Tiendesitas showcases the best the Philippines can offer – native food, fashion wear and accessories, furniture, antiques, handicrafts, personal care and novelty items, pets, plants and other proudly Philippine–made products. Tiendesitas complements the successful "WOW! Philippines" campaign initiated by former Tourism Secretary and now Senator Richard Gordon. It also meets the focus of the second phase of the Department of Trade ("DoT") campaign which is shopping and food. At the opening were members of the Ortigas family; Rex Drilon, COO-OCLP; Joey Santos, general manager, GSC; Lotta S. Soller, Special leasing and Marketing manager, GSC; Henry G. Babiera, CEO, Las Islas and his staff; businessmen entrepreneurs and exhibitors.
The management team of Greenhills Shopping Center, the country’s value shopping mecca, will also manage the Tiendesitas operations, ensuring the complementation and synergy of both shopping destinations which cater primarily to value-conscious foreign and domestic shoppers.
[edit] Night Market
A welcome feature of Tiendesitas is that shopping hours are from 12 noon to 12 midnight.” This is the best time for working people who can only shop after work. And, tourists love the idea of the night market,” says Joey Santos, the general manager[3]. Acoustics and show bands perform during weekends to create a festive atmosphere.
[edit] Tiendesitas Villages
Tiendesitas is a 30,000 m² complex of “villages” featuring stylized and unique Filipino architecture. The complex functions like an "urban retreat" where one can walk around in wide-opened villages. The complex is made up of twelve pavilions which took inspiration from Maranao architecture, which in turn traces its roots back to the bahay kubo. The roof is covered with Cogon grass which was chemically treated. The roofs are also equipped with sprinklers to avoid mishaps during fires. Duyans (hammocks) were scattered around the development to allow for short breaks amidst frenzied shopping activities. The Filipiniana inspiration extends to the comfort rooms, with the antique-looking lamps. Old calesa wheels were transformed into chandelier frames to light up these restrooms. Special attention was given to the needs of the disabled and the elderly in the design of the complex. The result is a novel interpretation of the conventional bahay kubo form. Lush tropical landscaping around and within the development provide a refreshing respite from the mall-complex atmosphere, and contributes to a totally pleasurable shopping experience. All these elements make Tiendesitas the perfect place to showcase Pinoy’s Best…Everyday.
More than 450 traders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao specializing in merchandise from all the regions not usually found in mainstream retail outlets are exhibiting their wares in Tiendesitas’ conveniently laid-out shopping pavilions. Haggling ala-tiangge will be the norm as shoppers discover the treasures and pleasures of Philippine-made goods and produce.
[edit] Handicrafts Village
Export-quality Philippine-made handicrafts (by members of Philippine Chamber of Handicrafts Industries) from home décor to fashion accessories which are not seen in regular retail outlets are found at the Handicrafts Village. Benguet handicrafts are included in the limited edition merchandist to be found here. The unique local treasures at the Handicrafts Village will surely make it an ideal source of gifts and furnishings.
[edit] Fashion Village
The Fashion Village is a dream venue for young, creative, and budding entrepreneurs to display their works and to practice their business skills on their way to becoming recognized in the world of fashion apparel. The next generation of Marikina’s pride also gets to showcase their own flair in designing shoes and bags here. Fashionistas can start building up a wardrobe of native clothes made of cloth woven in various regions of Mindanao and accessorize them with shell earrings (P654) from Cebu and necklaces (from about P40 to more than P1,000) from other provinces in the South, among other jewelry sold in the stalls.
[edit] Personal Care and Novelties Village
Homegrown, homemade organic soaps, lotions and aromatherapy lines developed by enterprising traders and some of the thriving products in the market today. 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.
[edit] Pets Village
The Pets Village is not your traditional pet shop. Licensed pet dealers showcase exotic animals, rare species of birds, primates, snakes and iguanas. Domestic pets such as Labradors, Siamese cats, as well as various species of parrots and parakeets are also available. The village houses not only licensed ped dealers but pet grooming and care services as well.
[edit] Garden Village
A variety of potted plants, orchids, fruit-bearing trees and ornamentals can be seen at the Garden Village Gardening enthusiasts will certainly revel in the variety of garden ornaments, décor and accessories that these shops offer.
[edit] Antiques Village
Henry Babiera’s “Mana Manila” is the anchor tenant for this Antiques Village. Henry’s finds from all over the country are a real steal in this haven of history and artistry. Mana-Manila is the flagship store for this village. The most expensive item in the store is an P800,000 – worth statue of Saint Augustine from Bohol. Other stalls sell carvings of the bulol, a granary god, with prices climbing to as high up as P40,000, while contemporary wood carvins from Cebu costs at least P350.
[edit] Furniture Village
Modern export-quality furniture which finds its way to New Youk and other lifestyle capitals of the world can be found in the Furniture Village. Interior designers will delight in bringing their clients here for furnishing requirements.
[edit] Food Village
Before shoppers drop, the best stop is the Food Village where just about all the favorite specialties of foodies abound. Care for Something Piggy … Sometimes, Fishy? Or, perhaps halo-halo of all varieties? The Food Village has these and more … ihay-ihaw galore, Minette’s Inasal, Tita Lynne’s Flavored Suman, Three Sisters’ Pasig Pancit with chicharon, budbod of Taytay (rice toppings) – you name it, your appetite will crave for it! Products from the country’s premier farms like Nenita’s and Dizon’s will also be made available here.
The food village has 46 stalls selling mouth-watering chow that will surely attract shoppers from all over the metropolis. For fish fanatics, fresh seafoods are also available to satisfy the connoisseurs' discriminating taste
Lovers of sizzling food need not feel left out as they can have a taste of the original sisig from Angeles City, Pampanga while they do their shopping. Filipino favorite merienda specialties like halo-halo, bibingka, puto bungbong, native kakanin and pancit.
Native dishes like Bacolod's famous chicken inasal, sizzling lechon, Pancit ng taga-Malabon, assorted BBQ, sisig, pork, bangus, chicken and other regiounal delicacies are also on hand for food loving villagers. WHile feasting on their chosen delicacy, shoppers can choose from a wide array of natural fruit juices to wash down their meal.
Shoppers can also chat with friends over a cup of Batangas, Kalinga or Malay-Balay coffee depending on their choice.
[edit] Delicacies
Before calling it a day, shoppers can take a late stroll around to look for possible choices of pasalubong to the family, friends, and relatives. Pasalubong discoveries are Vigan’s empanada and longganisa, Tacloban’s suman sa latik, and Cebu’s famous danggit. Fresh fruits from Davao like durian, mangosteen and mangoes among others to organic and fresh vegetables fro Baguio and Benguet are also available. There are always new additions to the delicious delicacies from different regions.
A wide selection of special dried fish and pili from Bicol, famous balut from Pateros, tuna from Gensan, crispy shrimps, cornick, and bagnet from Ilocos, taba ng talangka, biurong dalag, bottled smoked fish and oysters from Aklan or the well-loved boneless bangus from Dagupan are available.
Many varieties of rice to cook are sold here, from Nueva Ecija's Jasponica and Balatinao from Benguet.
Villagers with the sweet tooth are also in for a treat as suman in different flavors like chocolate, ube, and langka are available for them to choose from.
[edit] Exhibits
An area in Tiendesitas is dedicated to special trade shows, exhibits, and unique Filipino cultural presentations that are scheduled year-round. When Tiendesitas opened last September 26, 2005, a Bonsai exhibit at the People’s Village ran for a week, followed by an Antique exhibit in October. “The whole place will be bustling with activity and we expect it to become one of Asia’s major shopping and entertainment attractions,” said COO Rex Drilon prior to the opening[4].
[edit] Calesa Rides
A sure come-on for shoppers would be the calesa ride one can take when tired of roaming the villages. During the opeing, there were only three calesas available. Since then, more calesas have been operating in the area.
[edit] Other Events
Acoustic music performers and show bands perform during weekends.
If you intend to shop, make sure to bring enough case. Just in case, ATMs are available in the area.
According to Mr. Rex Drilon, the number of visitors to the complex is expected to range from 20,000 to 30,000 daily on regular days, and will most likely peak at 100,000 during the Christmas season[5].
“As we have incubated hundreds of now successful businesses and national brands in Greenhills Shopping Center like Bayo, Kamiseta, Toby’s and Folded & Hung,, we hope to produce an even greater number of successful entrepreneurs in Tiendesitas,” says Drilon.
With Tiendesitas, entrepreneurs from the provinces with unique products or products with outstanding value propositions can find a home in Metro Manila. “It is a source of pride and privilege that we in Ortigas & Company, in partnership with hundreds of entrepreneurs from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, are given this opportunity to showcase the best that the Filipino can create and produce. If more Filipinos can see the creativity, the beauty, and the quality of products made by Filipinos, perhaps we can learn to love our country a little bit more,” he adds.
Small entrepreneurs coming from 18 regions invest their own businesses here. At an affordable rental fee compared to malls, these Filipino artisans display their craftsmanship and creative ideas. There will be more jobs for Filipinos that would capitalize the macro industry as a way of recovering from the economic decline.
Aside from the highly-successful Greenhills Shopping Center, other Ortigas projects that have become models in real estate development are the Ortigas Center (a CBD), the three Greenhills Subdibisions, the six Valle Verde villages and the three Greenmeadows residential enclaves.
"We expect Tiendesitas to become one of Asia's major shopping and entertainment attractions, said Mr. Drilon [6]. Mr. Drilon adds "It is a source of pride that we in Ortigas & Co., in partnership with hundreds of entrepreneurs from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, are given this opportunity to showcase the best that the Filipino can create and produce".
“Tiendesitas is only consistent with the track record of Ortigas & Company as a preferred partner in real estate and property development ventures in the last 74 years", Drilon concludes.
[edit] References and footnotes
[edit] External links
- New Shopping Destination Rises in Ortigas
- 5 Foodie Reasons to go to Tiendesitas
- Yuga's Photo Gallery
- World of Cat Show at Tiendesitas
- Eat your heart out at Tiendesitas
- Fusing innovation and tradition
- ’Tis the year of the fashionista dog
- SM Group , George Yang Grouplease land in Ortigas development
- Philippine Shopping Guide
