Tacurong City from Dusk to Dawn
Posted on Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Tacurong from Dusk to Dawn
by Apolinario Villalobos
by Apolinario Villalobos
As dusk falls, resourceful Tacurongnons who want to
earn start to bring out their commodities such as balut, hot snacks, ready to
roast barbecues and many more. They strictly observe the imposed curfew so that
they pack up before 10PM or earlier. Those who sell their deep-fried snacks
outside the gate of the market, clean the area that they have occupied with
water to remove the oil, aside from sweeping the ground clean.
The tents are folded up the following day not later than 6AM, as
the vendors wait for their early morning patrons, the "bolanteros and
bolanteras" who start to trek to their favorite tented stall as early as
3AM, same as with tricycle drivers. The whole length of the marketside of the
National Highway down to the "Dragon Area" literally comes to life
from duskfall to 10PM with gayly lighted stalls that sell barbecue, pata broth,
balut, and dinner.
At lighted street corners meanwhile, balut stands
are put up to serve patrons, although, some of them start selling the delicacy
as early as 5PM to cater to the students and office employees who would drop by
for two or three downed with a small bottle of cold soft drink.
Tacurong is about 3 to 4 hours from Davao City on an aircon van that can be taken at Matina and 1 hour and 30 minutes from General Santos City. The city is part of the Sultan Kudarat Province.
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