OCLP CEO Rex Drilon II revealed at the complex’s opening last year that Tiendesitas is patterned after the Chatuchak flea market in Bangkok, famous for its reputation of being the biggest of its kind. Like Chatuchak, Tiendesitas promotes local products and boosts small entrepreneurs by giving them the same competing space with the bigger players in the business.

Tiendesitas, which means “little stores” in Spanish, is literally a series of stores clustered like a village, all standing side by side. Tiendesitas’ structure allows shoppers to drift through all kinds of shops in just one floor, minimizing the need for staircases and totally eliminating elevators and escalators.

It is easier, then, to navigate through the shops that are grouped in their villages by category: this shopper, for instance, roamed through the Home Furnishing Village first, and then drifted to the Fashion Village just behind the former for shoes and clothes. Though this village offered a lot of nice items at reasonable prices, finding the People’s Village adjacent to it was a delight for it offered more of the same stuff for even lower prices!

Next were the Handicraft Village, full of beautiful wood sculptures and hand painted glass pieces, and the Antique Village, which offered antique furniture, delicate treasure chests, ceramics, and precious collectibles. A few steps up from the Antiques Village led to the Garden Village, the most tranquil and refreshing one of all, filled with exotic greens and flora.

The fun surprises, however, are all packed in the Pets Village right beside the garden shops. Walking into one of this village’s menageries leads to encounters with different breeds of dogs, cats, birds, and fish. It was particularly amusing to pass by a huge Old English sheepdog, whose owner allowed bemused shoppers to take pictures of her friendly pet.

The Novelty Village, which sells personal care items and toys, is also a fun village to visit. Needless to say, this part of the complex that is frequently visited by kids looking for items featuring their favorite characters, funky, colorful jewelry and assorted accessories.

A welcome sight, of course, was the Food Village, with stores serving Filipino food such as sisig, okoy, suman, bibingka, puto bumbong, and empanada. The Food Village also features a stage and other amenities available for live performances for local artists and pet shows for proud pet owners.

But the gastronomic trip isn’t over with the Delicacies Village waiting just a few steps from the Food Village. The various Filipino delicacies such as pastillas, yema, turrones, jams, jellies, and pies make ideal take home goodies.

Housed under large wooden, thatch roofed huts, with colorful vinta masts and sarong lanterns suspended in the air, Tiendesitas brings the diverse Filipino culture to the modern shopping arena. Its spacious interior also allows guests to take leisurely strolls through the shops, even with their pets in tow. Completing this local feel are calesas which guests can ride in around the whole complex.

Tiendesitas can be accessed by taking a cab from any point in Manila, as public utility vehicles are not allowed inside the Frontrera Verde complex. Parking is also a breeze, with about 300 slots available for private vehicles.

Photos by Benhur Arcayan