Exploring Baguio City Supermarkets. Places where to buy necessities. Monol English Academy.
Imagine you are a newly arrived English student in Baguio City, and your study duration is for a few months. Therefore, you want to know the important places here, learn some local tips, and know extra hacks about living in Baguio. You believe that this can help you adapt to the city better and make things easier because you will be staying for quite a long time. Thinking about this predicament that English students have, we thought that writing about it could help you a lot. Navigating a new place can be exciting and difficult at the same time.
As a first-time language student here in the Philippines, you might be wondering where you need to go if you need to buy something. This could be a simple snack or a whole bunch of groceries. Don’t fret, because in this article, we will be talking about the supermarket locations that you can easily go to for your specific needs. Baguio City is a smaller city than Manila and Cebu, and this could also be an advantage since almost everything here is walkable. When we say walkable, most places here are within walking distance of one another, especially in the downtown area. This is a great travel bonus since you can cut your transportation costs too!
Keep reading this article if you have a plan to study English here in Baguio City, Philippines, or if you have also chosen MONOL English Academy as a language school. Exploring Baguio City Supermarkets might be a simple topic but we hope that this article can make it easier for you to navigate the city.
What are the common convenience or grocery stores?
Convenience stores also have another name here in the Philippines. We call them “sari-sari stores”. In case you’re wondering, a sari-sari store is a smaller version of a convenience store, and they are spread out in Philippine neighborhoods. “Sari-sari” also means variety in English. Therefore, you might observe different products being sold, from basic hygiene products to snacks and many more. However, only a few sari-sari stores are selling frozen foods, and you should not expect complex products like electronic accessories and specific spices and seasonings.
7-Eleven is the biggest convenience store chain in the world, and yes, it is also available in Baguio City. You can purchase a wide range of food and beverages, basic hygiene products, and some non-prescription drugs; withdraw money; top up your e-wallet; and pay for online services.
There are branches in specific areas which are in the downtown area or nearby town. Below are the branches’ location within the downtown area.
Assumption Rd, Baguio, Benguet
BDO Building, Gov. Park Road, Baguio, 2600 Benguet
Shanum St, Baguio, 2600 Benguet
Unit 2 Ong Building, Abanao Street,Baguio City
12 Legarda Rd, Baguio, 2600 Benguet
Lower Session Road, Baguio City
Porta Vaga, Fr. Carlu St, Baguio, 2600
Next, there are common grocery stores and supermarkets in Baguio City. These are Puregold, Tiongsan, Robinsons, SM Supermarket, and Save More. There are other grocery stores that will not be mentioned, but it is up to you to discover them during your stay. For now, we will be discussing easily accessible and well-known stores.
Puregold
There are only two branches of Puregold in Baguio City. One on Otek Street, near Burnham Park, and another one on Naguillan Road, which is 15 minutes away from town. Puregold is a spacious grocery store, and there are fewer people inside, which makes grocery shopping comfortable and smooth.
Tiongsan
Tiongsan Supermarket is located in the heart of Baguio. With this, you can expect more people who are shopping, and rush hours (4 PM- 6 PM) are the busiest time when more people get clamped. Shopping here in the rainy season can also be an adventure. If you are not much in a hurry, Tiongsan is also an experience for buying goods, especially since prices are also a little cheaper here. Just make sure that you are wearing a shirt because it can get really hot inside the establishment.
Robinsons
There is only one Robinsons supermarket in Baguio City. If you have visited Manila and Cebu, Robinsons might have been spread out everywhere. Robinsons in Baguio is a little smaller, but it is clean, spacious, and you can expect some goods that are being sold that are not available in other stores. Expect that prices are also a little higher here. Since it is located in Porta Vaga Mall, it is very convenient for people to drop by whenever they need something while exploring the city’s most famous road.
SM and Save More
Of course, there is only one SM Mall in Baguio City, and it sits on top of a hill. Did you know that the SM Baguio mall is famous for its view deck of the beautiful city lights of Baguio? Moreover, it is the first mall to open without an air-conditioning system. Although there is now an air-conditioning system, it is not really used that much with the city’s natural cooler weather.
The SM Supermarket is the biggest grocery store in Baguio City. Almost everything is available here, and you can say that it is truly a one-stop shop. It might only get a little tiring since you have to walk back and forth to get the things that you need, which are far away from each other. However, it is easy to recognize where to get the exact things that you need as long as you read the sections’ labels. You also have to be a little more patient because standing in the line can be tiring. In addition to this, if you have no private transportation, you have two options. Stand in another queue for the taxi lane or move to another location, hoping that you can get a taxi. You can use the Grab App if you want to increase your chances of getting a ride.
Save More is another supermarket owned by SM Prime Holdings. General Luna is also a busy area where you can expect a lot of students to pass by. If you want to explore this area of the city and realize that you need to buy some groceries, you can shop in this store. It is also spacious, and shopping here is comfortable and convenient if you want to avoid long lines.
If you plan to be a student of Monol…
If you are going to be a student at Monol, here is a summary of nearby places that you can go to for your basic needs. There is a sari-sari store in front of Monol. If you do not need anything urgent but just feel like buying some snacks and light meals, this is your go-to store.
You can take a taxi to Puregold (Cooyeesan branch) and arrive there in around 5 minutes. If you are feeling energetic, you can walk there in about 15 to 20 minutes. Going to Puregold is really convenient since you can also purchase products from neighboring shops like D.I.Y. for hardware and electronic products, and Japan Home Centre for affordable electronic accessories and storage products.
Conclusion
You will probably decide that SM Supermarket is the easiest place to shop whenever you need something. You might also think that exploring Baguio City supermarkets is an odd topic. Nevertheless, you may also be curious to know what other places you can go if you need something. All of the stores that were introduced in this article will be very helpful so that regardless of where you are in town, you can be familiar with other stores like any other local.
Baguio City is a walkable place, and you can enjoy exploring the city while walking. You will discover some common places that locals go to, and we hope that this article has helped you become familiar with the city. In our next article, we will be discussing the different malls in Baguio City, the public market, and places where you can exchange currencies. ‘Til next time!
If you think that Monol is the right school for you, you can send us a message, and we will help you enter our English Academy. Monol aims to give the students the best learning and travel experiences. Monol can provide you with comfortable accommodations, a focused learning approach, and action-packed free days. Live and learn with Monol today!