March 2003
Destination: Manila
The Clothes Authority
by Jennifer Ann Semira
"Miss, pili na kayo!"
A friendly face greets you as you pass by her stall. She is armed with wit and the skill to convince you purchase a single product right before you leave their shop. With her charming personality, Aling Merta surely provides any customer with the encouragement and the style one needs in searching for the right clothes. A perfect salesperson, Aling Merta will not only persuade any potential buyer to shell out some cash but give tips as well in the world of fashion. Not only an entrepreneur and 'tindera', she is a very warm host as well. Chatting one afternoon with Aling Merta was surely a blast. Enter Aling Merta's stall and a glimpse of her jolly personality as well.
Where she started it all
Aling Merta Salvacion, 36, started being a 'tindera' of tiangge since she was in her teenage years. "Feeling ko nga dito na ako tumanda (sa tiangge). Dito na ako nagkaasawa at nagkapamilya," she relates. She also added that the 'tiangge' taught her basically everything she has to learn. From haggles, to pickpockets, to sugarcoating words, Aling Merta surely creamed everybody in all aspects of marketing. "Lahat na nasaksihan ko dito. Minsan nga ako pa yng nakakahuli sa mga mandurukot!" she ecstatically narrates. There was one time that she and her 'suki' were chatting as usual and she noticed a suspicious looking man reaching for something inside her suki's bag. She quickly grabbed the man and shouted "Snatcher! Snatcher!". She was considered hero for a day.
On dealing with the customers
It's not a surprise that I chose Aling Merta to be my interviewee. She definitely exudes a pleasant aura and her warm greeting no doubt offers a sense of closeness with a simple 'tindera' like her. When asked what sets her apart from the other tinderas, she simply answered, "Kinakaibigan ko ang mga customer ko." And mind you, her friendliness is not the type to bug and irritate you rather it brings out a smile in you.
On endurance
This tough lady sure has the endurance as that of an athlete. She works whole day and at times rarely eats a meal in a day. "Kasi kung minsan, masyadong maraming customer, yung iba tumitingin, yung iba bumibili. Kailangan lahat yun asikasuhin mo," she shares. Her key words were patience, perseverance and respect. She adds, "Kapag maikli ang pasensya mo, wala ka. Tsaka dapat hindi ka nagsusuplada sa mga bumibili. Pasensya na lang kung masungit yun customer. Ngitian mo na lang."
Aling Merta is a one-of-a-kind salesperson: a friend, a hero, your perfect 'tiangge' tindera. With her exquisite sense of style and her sunny smile, you would definitely come again to her stall. Plus, with her affordable clothes with cutesy to sophisticated style, everything is right in front of your very eyes. And no doubt, Aling Merta's convincing powers sure mystified me. I bought a whole lot of bunch of clothes from her store!
The best meal is not always found in a five-star hotel or in expensive restaurants. There are places where you could get food that is hotel quality but the price is very light for the pocket. 
A decade ago, bargain hunting was never heard of since choices were quite limited. With the boom of industrialization, new businesses erupted thus giving way to more choices and extreme competition. 
In the quest to find the cheapest clothes and experience shopping galore, one has to eagerly wait for a mall-wide sale. But of course, expect the troubles you will have to go through just to buy the things that you need at the most reasonable price. 
During holiday seasons, more and more people come to visit bargain shops to do their holiday shopping. With the current economic downfall and difficulty in earning money, who would want to send their hard earned money to waste? 
If it makes no sense to you to fly to Bangkok or Hong Kong just to buy cheap clothes and knick-knacks, there’s one place that’s your best bet for imported stuff at the right price: Greenhills in San Juan. 
Establishments such as Greenhills, Divisoria, and Tutuban are known for offering good bargains to customers. This enables Filipinos to buy products for a very cheap price.
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