Wet Market In Batangas Philippines

 Fresh Parrot Fish at a traditional seafood wet market in Batangas Philippines 

 Wet Market In Batangas Philippines

Wet Market in Batangas is a thriving rural market. Here the local villagers buy all their groceries. This is a traditional market in The Philippines, including fresh vegetables. They sort through tables of fresh  fish of every kind. There are all the staples of the kitchen and meat hanging ….waiting to be cut the way you want. There are tables and tables of fresh vegetables of every kind imaginable.  This bounty was harvested this morning and brought fresh to the Wet Market. Farmers bring crates of fresh eggs and women pound spices. You can even see clothes hanging at the Wet Market. Here is  everything needed for the home.

The Wet Market is all about generating income for the local farmers, merchants, and fisherman.  Many find employment as market helpers for the day. It is all about the people and reducing poverty in this island nation. Some parts of The Philippines has been the target of several typhoons in recent years, including the most devastating of all…..Typhoon Yolanda. Many areas have seen floods, Tsunamis and high devastating winds that tore down coconut plantations and destroyed a life’s work. Destruction was everywhere! Many were homeless. Many of these move to areas like Manila hoping things will be better. But others were determined to replant where they were  and move forward. Now you see these determined farmers at the Wet Market.  At the Wet Market you see the self-determination of a proud and industrious people. Here are people who are busy doing what it takes to move forward. They have replanted! They have harvested! Now they come to sell! Hope is in the air. People are moving forward. The fruit of the labor of their hands is at the Wet Market. 

The Wet Market has all the different kinds of fish of the sea. The fisherman fished all through the night. They have brought the nights catch. A beautiful bounty of fish. Tables are full of beautiful Parrot Fish, so colorful among their cousins. They look like a rainbow among the more muted fish of the sea. I do believe the Parrot Fish got most of the beauty when created. They are as remarkable as the fisherman who caught them. Many of these fisherman started from scratch after Typhoon Yolanda. Most stayed in the area, and but some  moved to other regions including Batangas and Manila. They had lost their boats. They had lost their gear. They lost their livelihood. New boats were built. They worked to replace the needed gear. And now they bring you….the work of their hands. The catch of the day is at the Wet Market.

Many of the merchants lost their inventories, but slowly over time, they also have the product to sell. The Wet Market is a tribute to the hardworking Filipino men and women who were willing to …..begin again. If you have never been to a Wet Market, you can hardly conceive what it contains. But it is at the Wet Market that lives are mended. Here hope is re-kindled. Dreams are once again being fulfilled. The Wet Market is the fruit of all the hard work of the last 18 months. For it was out of the rubble that life began again.

As you plan your next Philippine vacation, set aside time to visit the Wet Market. Meet the farmers, merchants, and fisherman who make it possible. The Wet Market is a market of thanksgiving.  It is a tribute to the other areas of the island that absorbed those who left the devastation and chose to rebuild in a new area. It is a tribute to the Business men and women around the world who helped in the re-building. These gave the most important gift anyone can receive…..the tools to move forward. They invested in a people who have not let the world down. The Wet Market is just one of the fruits of their labors. There are many Wet Markets throughout the island. All of them have a story to be told.  Come, taste and see…… 

ExploreTraveler has been creating travel articles, books, videos, and podcasts for several years now. It is our intention to bring our older material for others here to enjoy here on Steemit, and to create new material here as well. We invite you to click on our links to the original content, and to also follow us there as well. This post was originally posted on April 26, 2015 at: