Paunay sa Valencia Weekend Market
On our third day, we left our hotel early in Dauin to visit Paunay Farmers Market in the nearby town of Valencia in Negros Oriental.
Valencia is geographically located in the mountainous areas of Negros Oriental, offering its visitors the adventure of exploring the hidden waterfalls and the abundant greenery nature has to offer. Because of its cold weather, Valencia is also called the “Little Baguio”. It was also voted as the “cleanest and greenest” town in the Negros Oriental Province.
The economy of Valencia is centered around electric power and agriculture. Valencia supplies electricity to the Negros Oriental, Panay, and part of Cebu using natural geothermal energy. Some of the major agricultural products of Valencia include lanzones, copra, abaca, and rambutan among other products. These are exported to neighboring towns of the province.
Valencia is also home to the famous Casaroro Falls and Pulangbato Falls. The Cata-al War Memorabilia houses collections of war memorabilia from the American-Japanese settlers in Negros Oriental.
The Valencia Public Plaza is where most social gatherings occur. Every Sunday, farmers from the mountain barangays sell their fruits, vegetables, and handicrafts at the plaza. It is also at the plaza that expats who live in the town of Valencia meet. Aside from the local produce, food artisans showcase their food products, most of which are expats. From Indian, and Spanish to other international cuisines, there are a lot of food choices you can find here.
Things to do in the Paunay Farmers Market
Activities include going around the different stalls of the local farmers selling their farm products and visiting the stalls of the foreigners selling their baked products, canned, and bottled fruit preserves. Both local and foreign visitors can enjoy a variety of agricultural products and international cuisine available in the market. The market opens from 7am to 7pm. The relaxing and friendly atmosphere of the public plaza makes it a safe space for families to bond and children to play.
After exploring the farmer’s market, we had lunch at the Sibaan sa Valencia, a local food park that showcases the best local cuisine. Located right next to the farmers market, this food park is open daily.
How to get to the Paunay Farmers Market
Travelers from Manila can book a flight to Dumaguete via the AirAsia website and mobile application. AirAsia flies to Dumaguete at the following schedules:
- MNL-DGT – 4x weekly, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday (Z2 641) with a travel time of 1.5 hours. Flights depart at 7am and arrive at the Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport at 8:25am
- DGT-MNL– 4x weekly, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday (Z2 642) with a travel time of 1.5 hours. Flights depart at 9:05am and arrive at the NAIA T4 at 10:25am.
From Dumaguete City, travelers can head to the Valencia Jeepney Terminal and take a jeepney bound to the Valencia Public Plaza. Jeepney fare can start from Php15 but is subject to change.
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