I’m a huge fan of the concept of local markets inside malls, however, I wasn’t very happy with the previous ones I’ve visited. I was often disappointed that the stalls either had brands and stores available nationwide, or stores and restaurants that were already popular and HUGE in Davao. SM’s most recent local market, Mercado Locale didn’t disappoint.

I was able to visit their first leg that ran from July 7 to 10. They are having the 2nd leg on July 28 to to 31 so you still get a chance to visit, shop, and dine. I went around and got to talk to some of the stores and except for Kultura, they either have just small stores, or I have NEVER heard of them and their products before.

Nino Basilio Bags

There was an assortment of food, organic stuff, bags and more that you just had to buy. They had Nino Basilio bags, which I love. If you’re a fan of bags made of natural materials but with a modern design, you should buy one. Prices range from 500 to 1000 pesos. I already own one and use it all the time.

Malagos Chocolate

I bought the usual Davao-local-market-have-to-buy from Kultura which are Coconut sugar from Retsa for my coffee and 65% Dark Chocolate from Malagos. In case you didn’t know, Malagos has been reaping awards through the years for their chocolate. The most recent one was a silver award for the Academy of Chocolate 2016 Awards under the Drinking Chocolate Category held in London, UK.

The Green Fix

One food stall I was able to try was the Green Fix. They searve healthy food alternatives like salads, wraps and smoothies. We loved their salad and Malaysian Popiah.

When I visited them, they also had bottled herbs and spices. I was actually curious about them and tried searching for them online to check their other products, but all I found so far was a feature on Sunstar and a not very updated Facebook Page. Hopefully we get more information from them very soon!

Dr. F Products – Durian Soap (Yes you heard that right, Durian!)

You know it’s Davao when you start smelling Durian. And I know you’re wondering, no. It doesn’t smell like Durian. I asked and smelled the bars.

The Durian soap comes in an assortment of different flavors types that either moisturize, whiten or even ward of mosquitos. If you read the labels, it seems like you’re reading smoothie ingredients, but it turns out, each ingredient has its own dermatological value. Durian in itself is high in salicylic acid.

I was so curious about it, I had to buy 1 bar for 100 pesos. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet, and I guess that’s for a different blog post.

According to the very nice lady watching the stall, it’s a project by DOH and is also slowly being featured as one of the products you have to try from Davao City. Yes, if you’re brave enough, you’ll be rubbing Durian all over your body soon.

I was in a hurry so I wasn’t able to thoroughly check the other stalls but I do look forward to the next Mercado Loyale. I’m not sure if they’re going to feature the same stall or if there will be new products, but I do hope it’s going to be bigger than the current one. There were a lot of cupcakes, banana chips, bottled dilis and more that I really really wanted to try.

To find out more about Mercado Locale, you can visit their facebook page or head on to SM on July 28 to 31. Good job to the people behind it.

If you have more time, do Google and visit the products featured here. I linked to their Facebook pages. Let’s attend more events like these in Davao and support more local products, talents and entrepreneurs.