Carbon is still a bustling place today, just as it was then.

by ELIZABETH SANTIAGO photography PABLO S. QUIZA

A TRIP TO THE WET market is part of the daily routine of many households. In the heart of Cebu City, Carbon Market is where you will find all your kitchen needs, from the freshest ingredients of farm produce, spices, and even cooking utensils. It’s also where you’ll get the best prices in town for anything and everything. Easily accessible, it is the city’s largest public market and the oldest one. Referred to as Carbon by locals, its name comes from being the area where a coal depot was located in the 19th century. Cebu once had a railway system from the southern town of Argao to Danao City in the north. These trains were run using coal, or Carbon, in Spanish.

The historical market has recently undergone a major makeover and is being redeveloped into a commercial, heritage, and cultural district to showcase the best of Cebu. I decided to spend time to see what Carbon is like these days and was pleasantly surprised. Everything was new — the place now looked like a park with a huge Santo Niño shrine in the center. The market stalls were no longer where they used to be and had been moved further down. The old wet market I was familiar with is now called The New Carbon Market.

Curious and eager to explore, I wanted to check the prices and see how far my limited budget would go. My market tour started at the fresh fruits section. There were many kinds to choose from, locally grown fruits like bananas and papaya and imported fruits like grapes, oranges, and apples.

I bought some luscious ripe Cebu mangoes to bring home, which cost P110/kilo. Stopping for a drink, fresh buko juice was priced at P35/buko.

I continued wandering around and suddenly became hungry at the sight and smell around me. It was hard to resist popular Cebuano street food. So I sat down and joined others and had a late pungko-pungko lunch of fried chicken (P30/piece), chicken proven or chicken skin (P25), and a hotdog (P25/stick). I treated myself to ube ube ice cream for dessert (P20/cone). Continuing my market walk, I headed to the flower stalls, where I bought a bunch of red roses (P100/ dozen) and one large sunflower (P80/stem). The market also sells handicrafts, and Cebu makes some of the best handwoven products. A native rattan basket (P120) and a woven jar (P280) were great bargains. Further on, I spotted an excellent pasalubong item of a handmade ukulele (P120). The public market also sells clothes for all occasions. Here you’ll find clothes and casual wear for adults and kids. A pair of slacks for only P280 was my final treat for the day. Feeling tired but completely satisfied, I wrapped up my market adventure and headed back home, happy with all my purchases. Carbon Market is truly a shopper’s paradise. 

If you have never been, it’s a must-see destination. And for those who live in Cebu, it’s time you revisit Carbon.

CEBU’S AYERS LECHON

Ayer’s Lechon, a local favorite for take-out whole lechon, is a fast-growing restaurant with traditional charcoal-grilled dishes like Regular Lechon, Spicy Lechon Belly, Kinutchillo, and Frozen Deep Fried Lechon. In addition to their main menu, they serve reasonably-priced tipid meals, super meals, family combos, and ayuda meals. Hall of Fame: Most Trusted Lechon Maker in Metro Cebu 2014 and 2015, awarded by Global Management Excellence A. Main Officec Gate 777 Gov M Cuenco, across Cebu Country Club.

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