Filipino Tapestry: Tagalog Language through Culture

6. Pamamalengke (Going to Market)

78 6 OBJECTIVES • Use magkano and gaano in interrogative sentences. • Use simple expressions in different market scenarios ( palengke and tindahan). • Understand the variety and intricacies of market systems in the Philippines and their cultural significance. OPENING PHOTOS Fruit market Children at a sari-sari store Pamamalengke Going to Market 79 Pamamalengke On your own: Study the opening photographs. Organize a list of items you might see in a farmers ’ market ( palengke) and another list of things you might see in a sari-sari store. Small group/in-class: Use the diagram below to describe each location. Share with others the differences and similarities between a palengke, a sari-sari store, and a grocery store. Use the following questions as a guide in a conversation. 1. Ilarawan ang palengke sa Pilipinas. Anu-ano ang mga paninda ng mga tindero at tindera sa palengke? 2. Ano ang pinagka-iba ng hinog at hilaw ng prutas? 3. Mahirap ba ang buhay ng isang tindero/tindera? 4. Paano tinitimbang ang mga bilihing prutas at gulay? Glossary Magkano dito?/Magkano ito? – How much here?/How much is this? Wala na bang tawad? – No more discount? Magkano ang isang dosena? – How much is a dozen? May dagdag ba kung bibili ako ng isang daang piso? – Will you add extra (quantity) if I buy a hundred pesos worth (of this)? Sariwa ba ito? – Is this fresh? Baka naman hindi na ito sariwa? – This might not be fresh anymore, huh? Heto ang bayad ko. – Here is my fare. May panukli ka ba sa isang daang piso? – Do you have change for one hundred pesos? Paki-timbang naman ang mga ito. – Please weigh these items. Magkano ang isang kilo ng mangga? – How much is a kilo of mangoes? Magkano ang isang kilong manok? – How much is a kilo of chicken? Magkano ang isang dosenang itlog? – How much is a dozen eggs? Pahingi naman ng supot. – Please give me a bag. Pakibalot naman ang isda. – Please wrap the fish. Pakilagay naman sa plastic ang manok. – Please put the chicken in a plastic (bag). Pakilagay naman ang mga gulay sa plastic. – Please put the vegetables in a plastic (bag). Pakilagay naman sa bote ang mantika. – Please put the oil in the bottle. ♪ 80 Filipino Tapestry CULTURAL NOTE The Philippine palengke or open market is usually the central hub of activity in any community . These native bazaars offer a richly diverse atmosphere where individuals can meet, exchange goods, and utilize various services. Depending on the size of the community, these markets can range from small assemblies of a couple of dozen sellers to a massive market complexes consisting of multiple buildings, thousands of shops, and tens of thousands of traders, such as Divisoria in Manila. Typically divided into sections, one can usually find fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, clothes, shoes, electronics, DVDs, hardware, kitchen appliances, cooked food, and even fireworks and regional antiques at many markets. The palengke also offers a variety of services. Market peripheries are often teeming with small shops offering shoe repair, tailoring, haircuts, and currency exchange. It is quite common for vendors at these markets to shout encouraging summons and facts about their products as they compete for buyers. When going to the palengke one is usually bombarded with a continuous flurry of invitations such as Bili po kayo! (Please buy!), Hali kayo! (Come here!), and Ano po ang hinahanap nyo’? (What are you looking for?), as well as statements concerning product quality and affordability such as sariwa (fresh), maganda (good quality), and mura (cheap). As an example of the free market system at its purest, the price of virtually every item is negotiable. Tawad, the art of bargaining, is one of the most fundamental aspects of market activity at the palengke. Although the prices of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, rice, and currency exchange are often posted on signs, patrons rarely accept them as absolutes and always ask for a better deal. When purchasing items such as clothes, shoes, and hardware, for example, buyers will often spend a moment critically examining the items and then ask in a relatively disinterested tone, Makano? (How much?). The vendor will usually quote a high price, and a battle of negotiated offers will ensue. When offering prospective prices, each participant will add a rationale for the suggested value. Vendors will often extol the virtues of their products, claiming that such an item is actually worth a great deal more than...