FOR 17 years now during this time of the year, vehicular traffic along F. Torres Street becomes congested and an unusual number of people can be seen walking around, either hurrying into or out of their cars, waiting for a tricycle or just walking to J.P. Laurel Avenue for a jeepney ride home.
The cause of traffic? The annual Christmas Bazaar organized by Davcon, which through the years have grown from booths by hobbyists and a few enthusiasts to a full tiangge (bazaar) that has long overflowed onto the parking area.
Every last weekend of November, the Christmas Bazaar goes up.
This year, there were 104 stalls inside the Davcon, its hallway and the foyer, and another 100 at the outdoor tent.
It's not unusual for a stall renter to find some enterprise to share the space with, thus, there could be more than 200 sellers all in one venue such that it has become a major Christmas shopping venue for locals.
There are several stores selling apparels and shoes, there are food stalls and those that sell bottled and boxed food stuff like cakes and gourmet "tuyo" and bottled sweets and other locally produced food items that are perfect as gifts. There are also toys and perfume. But the special eye candy are always the stalls that feature Christmas decors.
This is where you can find whimsical nativity scenes (Belens) aside from the more serious Caucasian-looking ones.
A stand-out was one that was selling military and camping accessories, but only for the outdoors person. The toys were also cute. I snagged three eight-inch tall brown-haired dolls for a project. At P100 each, it's a steal. I know there are dolls that are cheaper in the Uyanguren shops, but as one young woman told her male companion, as they were likewise looking over the different merchandise, "Mas barato lagi didto, pero mamasahe pa ka (I know it's cheaper there, but then you will have to spend for fare)."
As many tiangge habitués have realized, it's the mish-mash of goods all in one compact venue that is the biggest draw of flea markets that gather more than a hundred small traders, you can't have that many sellers and varieties in a similar area inside a mall.
The Christmas Bazaar for this year ends today, thus, there's still time to grab some items and enjoy special discounts as sellers are expected to try to off whatever stock they still have.
Among the early shoppers yesterday morning when many stalls were still closed was Davao City Tourism Officer Generose Tecson, who was checking out what gifts she can buy.
Private initiatives like this is the way to go, she says, where government will just pitch in support wherever needed.
By noontime, Saturday, more sellers were opening up their stalls and the nearby Coco's South Bistro was filling up with diners walking in from the bazaar.
It's a win-win situation there. The place fills up with people, sellers are happy, Davcon earns a lot for the season much more than had they just rented the space out for an event, and yes, the food places get the crowd of hungry shoppers.
Remember, you have until today to do your last-minute shopping as the 17th Christmas Bazaar at Davcon closes its doors tonight.