One of the best pastimes that a person can do in Cebu is shopping. The speed of which malls, department stores, supermarkets, and even small stores are constructed is mind-blowing. Everywhere in Cebu, there is always a place where you can buy something. Indeed, some foreigners are even pleasantly amazed that when they get out from their hotel, numerous stores and other establishments are just meters away from their hotel’s doors!

Cebu is indeed becoming a modern shopping destination in the ASEAN region. But no matter how modern, posh, or chic shopping establishment in Cebu will become, no one should miss visiting its humble beginnings in a wet market called Carbon, just beside the magnificent façade of the University of San Jose – Recoletos, located on MC Briones St., Barangay Ermita. It is the largest and the oldest farmer’s market in Cebu. It is very easy to get there because virtually all locals know where it is! Both the obscenely rich and miserably poor purchase what they need here.

The place was named “Carbon” because it was once a depot where coal for the trains was unloaded from the now-defunct Cebu Railroad. It was also a place where cinders were dumped in the 19th Century. After World War 2, when the rail system was bombed to oblivion, the depot was converted into a wet market. As of 2011, the market is over 102 years old.

Shopping guides rarely mention about the place, but countless people consider Carbon as the centre point when it comes to Cebu shopping. Fresh farm vegetables, fruits, and crops are sold by the farmers themselves who have traveled straight from the highlands after harvesting. Butchers heave up tons of meat that will be on the dinner table. Fishermen haul in fresh fish straight from the ocean. Do you want fresh meat? Just walk around the corner—you can see fresh chickens that are ready to meet their death.

Muslim traders set up small stalls that sell sarongs, handicrafts, and other knickknacks. Countless stores open up to sell ukay-ukay, bales of used clothing, bags, and other apparel imported all over the world. Many Cebuanos actually get their fashion from the stuff (That is why you can see that even the poorest Cebuano wears a shirt from Hard Rock Café Amsterdam).

Going inside Carbon Market, you find more surprises. There are shops that double as small factories for baskets, trays, decorations, and other home improvement or personal items. You can also buy good-quality DVDs, CDs, and even electronic gadgets such as cellphones and portable MP3 players from the numerous stores. Fronting Carbon is an immense collection of stores that sell delicate bouquets of fresh flowers, straight from the highlands of Balamban and Busay.

You can go around and check out the old Chinese stores that encircle the Carbon market. They sell all sorts of merchandise—pots and pans, toiletries, appliances, medicinal herbs, tools, toys, and even burlap sacks! And if you ever get hungry going around, you can always head out to the dozens upon dozens of local carenderias, small restaurants that offer local food. Some carenderias specialize in a certain kind of food, making the experience all the more adventurous.

And the best part of it all? The prices in Carbon are very, very affordable. If you shop in airconditioned supermarkets and mall, try to buy your items in Carbon. You will realize that these classy establishments are actually robbing you blind.

As you can see, Carbon Market seems to be a mall of some kind—a mall of the old. It is more than that. It is a part of Cebu’s heritage.