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| (Image Source: Mercado De Lipa) |
In mid-2008, the city government of Lipa under the administration of then Mayor Oscar Gozos formally opened the city's own night market. Opened every night adjacent to the Candido B. Lopez Memorial Public Market, the Lipa City Night Market provided opportunities for business owners, merchants and start-up entrepreneurs from different parts of the city to showcase their wares and products to their target customers, more particularly students and young professionals clamoring for refreshments when their day is done. A few years later, the market was marred by heavy traffic and alleged possibilities of drug carriers roaming the scene which would eventually lead to its closure under former city mayor Meynard A. Sabili.
Fast forward to the holiday season of the year 2020 and as more are starting to adjust and adapt to the new normal due to the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new player in the local business scene is set to literally bring the spirit of the old night market back to life and better opportunities for young start-up and budding entrepreneurs to grow and prosper their own businesses anew in a safe but refreshing environment. With such purpose on hand, Mercado De Lipa is born set to breath new life as the newest night market to hit the city's downtown streets and contribute to its steady progress amidst the global pandemic.
Mercado De Lipa is more than just the resurrection of the old night market in the city since it doesn't take up one street only to be hindered by a heavy load of physical and human traffic. Instead, the spirit of the said market is imbued in one unique structure situated within an open-air environment where customers and merchants alike can enjoy, hang out and interact with each other. However, due to the standards and practices imposed by the community quarantine periods implemented across different parts of the country, interaction inside and outside Mercado may be uncertain without following the proper health and safety guidelines. And because of the community quarantine, Mercado De Lipa's business and operation hours are initially earlier than advertised as mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
I can't say much more about Mercado De Lipa since I am yet to check it out in the foreseeable future, but its official Facebook page tells the story more particularly its grand opening on October 10, 2020 with Lipa City Mayor Eric B. Africa leading the ceremony. I can assume that most of the businesses inside Mercado are food and retail and I can't wait to discover if there is anything that can suit my tastes and my budget once I'm there especially when it comes to my newfound favorites that I have musseled before the start of the pandemic. Anyway, it is good to know that Mercado De Lipa reintroduces the Lipa City Night Market to those who have known the place all the way to its sudden closure and it will be interesting to see how it will stand out amidst the challenging times we are facing until now.
Mercado De Lipa is located at 10 M.K. Lina St., Lipa City, Batangas. For more information, visit www.mercadodelipa.com and Mercado De Lipa's official Facebook page.
