Community Interactions and Practices

In UPLB Saturday Public Market

Mark Yvanne A. Mendres

HUME 113 – B1L

September 10, 2019

1
A community study observation report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
in HUME 113 laboratory under Atty. Aladdin Dominguita
I. Introduction

A public market is an intentional and diverse combination of craft, stalls, and other owner-
operated shops that exists to achieve a public purpose. The main goal of public market does not
end with the service of fulfilling consumer’s needs. It also emphasizes unique character and diverse
culture of a community through the products it displayed (Zaretsky, 2017).

Every Saturday morning, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) is opening a
public market in Mariano M. Mondonedo Avenue between the Student Union building and
Freedom Park. More than thirty product stalls are installed that size varies from large, medium,
and small. Different products are offered within each stand such as food, plant and seed, fashion,
houseware, and craft. Vendors are mostly the ones selling their goods outside the campus. Some
sellers are UPLB faculty and staff and UPLB student organization members.

Aside from shopping, people were going to the area for family, personal, and pet bonding.
It was noticeable that many parents brought their kids on the park to play and picnic. Groups of
adults and teens gathered socially within a circle for their respective friendly meetings. Owners
with their pets were playing together in the field. Leisure activities were also highlighted. Some
people went on their morning jog and exercise. Some were travelling with their bikes. Others did
sports like football and badminton. They also played ultimate frisbee and tag. After doing their
activities, most of them went ahead to the public market to eat and spend their time looking for
other products.

Being a public space, a large array of social interactions were presented making it an
important factor to recognize. One example was an individual-to-individual interaction that
happened inside a similar social boundary like what family members were portrayed within their
family. Contact among groups were also considered as a modifier of behavior. Most importantly,
in a public market, the relationship between the seller and the consumer had a significant effect
for public market development. In this study, the observer focused on the factors that affected the
attitude of the consumers upon choosing what products to buy. Some of the factors were the item
price, stall size, stall distance, and the quality of the product itself. Interactions toward environment
and people were also analyzed in the study.
II. Objectives

In order to understand the community interactions and practices in UPLB Saturday Public
Market, the specific objectives were:

1. to characterize the consumers;

2. to identify the preferences on purchase of goods;
3. to describe the social interaction of the consumers; and
4. to determine practices in compliance with RA 9003 (Solid Waste Management Act).

III. Methodology

As shown in figure 1, the observation was conducted at the University of the Philippines
Los Baños (UPLB) Saturday Public Market on Mariano M. Mondonedo Avenue between the
Student Union building and Freedom Park that typically having its operation from about 6 AM to
10 AM. The chosen observation time of this study was from 7:20 up to 8:04 in the morning. It was
when the weather was not yet sunny and the sky was dim. Plenty of people was present during this
time. It was comprised of family members from babies to grandparents, people doing leisure
activities, owners and their pets, social groups, couples, students, and vendors. The study solely
used non-participant observation method for gathering data. This method involves observing
participants while staying separate from the activities being observed (Mills et al., 2010).

Figure 1. University of the Philippines Los Baños Saturday Public Market

 In identifying consumers’ preference on purchasing a product, the observer looked at the
general classification of products offered from 37 stalls like food, plant and seed, fashion,
houseware, and crafts then analyzed the factors which affected the process and their choice such
as the item price, stall size, stall distance, and the quality of the product itself. RA 9003 (Solid
Waste Management Act) served as a guide to determine whether the consumers and the area
complied with the proper solid waste practices or not. The social interaction within the public
market was also observed by looking on the non-verbal and spatial behavior of an individual and/or
groups.

IV. Discussion of Observation

1. Characteristics of the Consumer

Family having their family date was the most common respondent in the study. It was
composed of parents and their babies and kids. Sometimes, there were teenagers with their parents
and grandparents. Their common activity was wandering the place, relaxing on the field, eating
and having bonding together. Kids were playing at the park; teens were exploring the shops.
Freedom park is a great locale to have these activities and the public market near the field has a
lot of items to offer.

People doing their leisure activities were second to the most common participant. There
was a group of five males playing ultimate frisbee. Children from both sexes were playing tag and
badminton. There were only few middle-aged men jogging and went on biking. It was due to the
limited observation space that was just focused at the public market. People doing their morning
exercise were often at the park and other places for their actions involved immense mobility. Only
one to two female adult respondents roamed with their pets.

Thirdly, senior citizen population was also abundant. There was a social group of seniors
forming a circle in the field; other seniors were partners and few were alone. Their common
activity was eating together, walking, and having conversations with their vendor friends which
were mostly shared the similar age. Their purpose on going to the area was also to relax and
improve their health condition and well-being.

Although, there were several numbers of students in the area, their count as consumers did
not have a large value. They were the ones who wandered within the public market to look for
souvenir or gift items before going home. Students also passed by the place because they had
morning Human Kinetics (HK) classes and spent their time on shops to have their breakfast.

2. Preferences on Purchase of Goods

Foods were the most consumed products in UPLB Saturday Public Market. Figure 2
displayed that one reason was because 27 out of 37 stalls offered food. Also, other item stands
included food together with their main product to attract more customers. Children after play were
accompanied by their parents to eat breakfast. People doing leisure activities stopped by the food
shops to regain energy. Seniors, together with their groups and/or partner, also had their meals on
one of the stands. In line with this, students passed by the kiosks to have a light food or a heavy
morning meal in preparation of their bodies to their HK classes.

Number of Stalls in UPLB Saturday Public Market

8%
3%
5%

11%

73%

Food Fashion Crafts Housewares Plant and Seed

Figure 2. Number of Stalls in UPLB Saturday Public Market

 Stall Classification Main Product Prices (in PhP) Stall Size No. of Consumers
1 Food Vegetables 50-100 S 2
2 Food Kakanin 0-50 M 5
3 Food Corndog 50-100 S 1
4 Plant and Seed Seedlings 50-100 S 2
5 Food Bread 150-200 M 3
6 Food Empanada 0-50 L 5
7 Food Foreign Food 50-100 M 3
8 Food Kakanin 0-50 M 4
9 Plant and Seed Succulents 100-150 M 1
10 Plant and Seed Succulents 100-150 M 1
11 Food Artisan 150-200 M 1
12 Fashion Accessories 50-100 M 2
13 Fashion Accessories 50-100 M 2
14 Craft Furniture 50-100 M 1
15 Craft Furniture 100-150 M 1
16 Fashion Clothes 50-100 M 3
17 Fashion Clothes 50-100 M 2
18 Housewares Housewares 50-100 M 2

Table 1. Stalls behind Freedom Park.

Legend in the Number of Consumers (Table 1. 1: 0-2 people; 2: 3-5 people;

3: 6-8 people; 4: 9-11 people; 5: more than 12 people. Take note: stall
number 1 was the nearest stall to the typical entrance ahead DL Umali Hall
and 18 was the farthest stall located between Baker Hall and Freedom Park.

As depicted in table 1, medium and large stalls with low product prices like stalls 2, 6, and
8 had the most number of consumers. The products offered in these stands were Filipino delicacies
like puto, kutsinta, sapin-sapin, and palitaw. Filipino breakfast was also included such as lugaw,
sopas, mami, goto and pancit-palabok. In medium-sized stalls, different varieties of products were
presented. One example was a foreign bread, 6-8 people stayed at the shop during that span of time
and only one person bought the bread. In addition, stall 7 which also served foreign food and the
corndog shop were outcompeted by the former large Filipino food stands because people greatly
considered the price. People also selected foods which they were accustomed to.

During the observation, senior citizens were the primary customers of stall number 1 which
provided vegetable produce. Old females were the main buyers of seedlings in stall number 4.
These senior population had chosen products that can promote their health conditions. In the
houseware section, mothers were mostly the consumers. Unlike the first data, the main factor in
this discussion was the characteristics of the product itself that provided buyers what they needed.

In terms of price and distance, almost no one visited and bought artisan products in stall
11. Aside from being the most distant food shop, similar to succulent plant stands, the products’
price was very high in comparison with others. However, plants and handcrafted items provided
aesthetic so that despite few people went there to buy their products, those items caught the
attentions of passers-by including students and young individuals who were also the main
customers of the stalls.

The other side of the market was completely composed of food stalls. Table 1 and 2 had
similarities in terms of senior citizens’ positive choice on vegetable products, and consumers
neglection to artisan goods. Few people selected pastry products. Table 2 described that Filipino
food chains were still the people’s choice despite the distance. On the other hand, one foreign food
stand which offered well-presented bread and bacon products had the most number of people in
line. Consumers desire to buy something was also driven by the stalls’ advocacy and great product
offers.

Legend in the Number of Consumers (Table 2). 1: 0-2 people; 2:

3-5 people; 3: 6-8 people; 4: 9-11 people; 5: more than 12 people.
Take note: stall number 1 was the nearest stall to the typical
entrance ahead DL Umali Hall and 19 was the farthest stall located
between Baker Hall and Freedom Park.
 Stall Classification Main Product Prices (in PhP) Stall Size No. of Consumers
1 Food Vegetables 50-100 M 2
2 Food Vegetables 100-150 L 3
3 Food Finger Food 50-100 L 5
4 Food Finger Food 50-100 S 2
5 Food Foreign Food 50-100 M 1
6 Food Artisan 100-150 M 2
7 Food Pastry 50-100 M 2
8 Food Vegetables 50-100 M 2
9 Food Filipino Food 0-50 M 4
10 Food Pastry 50-100 M 1
11 Food Foreign Food 50-100 M 5
12 Food Foreign Food 50-100 M 1
13 Food Vegetables 50-100 M 2
14 Food Pastry 50-100 M 1
15 Food Artisan 100-150 M 2
16 Food Pastry 50-100 M 1
17 Food Artisan 100-150 M 1
18 Food Filipino Food 0-50 M 4
19 Food Artisan 100-150 M 1

Table 2. Stalls behind Student Union Building

3. Social Interactions of the Consumers

Inside a family, recreational activities were the focus of interaction. Parents guided their
kids with their play and also let them explore and enjoy the environment. Children’s interface with
each other developed their social skills. The family head with his/her husband/wife was also
responsible for seniors and babies. They were observed to be unified when visiting public market
stalls.
 People playing sports like ultimate frisbee were concentrated on the game with their
playmates. Yet, despite having fun within the group, they did not fail to consider other individuals
and/or groups that surrounded them. There was an instance wherein they paused on throwing the
frisbee due to one person who passed by. As a response, this person quickly walked to not become
an interruption for the players. Individuals jogging and people with their bikes or cars were extra
cautious on their surroundings. One example was when a person reduced his/her speed when
entering an area with large amount of people.

Middle-aged to senior citizens who were companions for the vendors were most likely the
ones to sit and stay in the stalls to encourage a healthy conversation. Social groups which formed
circles in some parts of the field ensured that they had more than a meter distance from other
groups and/or individuals beyond their circle. This lessened their intergroup interactions because
their main focus was to talk and listen with each other only. However, individuals that went only
by themselves like students shared the similar result wherein they maintained their personal spaces.

4. Practices in Compliance with RA 9003 (Solid Waste Management Act)

Every day, UPLB ensured that the campus provides a safe and healthy environment for the
public. In terms of collecting and transporting waste products, workers are properly doing their
jobs, people can even see them each afternoon changing the trash bags from each bin. In the
morning, they maintain the vegetation of the area and provide a clean surroundings for everyone.

The UPLB Saturday Public Market properly implemented RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000. Although product stalls opened a way to generate wastes, both
the area and the vendors had their ways to solve the problem. UPLB did not fail to have
biodegradable, non-biodegradable, reusable, and residual storage bins for trash. Sellers also had
their mini trash cans and they properly organized their equipment and the market process. In
addition, vendors did everything to minimize their generation of waste products while maximizing
its proper disposal and cleaning.

On the other hand, consumers also have a harmonious interaction with their environment.
Despite their large number, they became responsible in terms of characterization and segregation
of their own waste products. They reduced their solid wastes through buying only those products
they can consume. In the observation, it resulted that people purchased products out of
convenience. Hence, the design of the place and factors affecting people’s choice helped to have
a responsible consumption.

V. Summary and Conclusion

1. Summary

This observation study aimed to understand the community interactions and practices in
UPLB Saturday Public Market. Specifically, this study attempted to characterize the consumers
individually and by groups. People involved were family members from babies to grandparents,
people doing leisure activities, social groups, couples, students, and vendors. Also, its purpose was
to identify the preferences on purchase of goods through factors which include item price, stall
size, stall distance, and the quality of the product itself. Another goals of this study were to describe
the social interaction of the consumers and determine community practices in compliance with RA
9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

2. Conclusion

People with their families was the most common group observed because Saturday was the
time to have their family bonding. People doing their leisure activities were roaming the park and
the market. Social groups met each other to relax and others were just passing by. They were
comprised of different ages and genders then went to the market to eat and wander.

Due to the large amount of food stalls in the market, food was the most consumed items in
the area. People selected products common to their tastes, considered low priced goods and
convenience. Female seniors preferred vegetables to eat. They were also the ones to buy the seeds.
Their reason was to improve their health and well-being. In terms of aesthetic, succulent plants
and crafts caught the attention of the younger population. Women were common to be seen at the
fashion section for the items there included accessories and female clothes. In addition, parents
were the most common participant going at the houseware stands. Therefore, some of the people’s
preference on purchasing goods was mostly based on their needs at a particular life stage.

All people in the area were careful their actions toward each other. Individuals’ behavior
was modified through their interactions with the people around them. Some of them tried items on
the stalls with several people fell in line. Others just followed someone within their group. In their
spatial behavior, it was noticeable that each one protected their personal space and even groups
had kept their distance to have the space they need.

Aside from a positive social interaction within people and/or groups. They also had a
healthy contact with their environment. The whole community, including the place itself,
implemented RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and collaborated
well to achieve a safe and healthy ecosystem.

References:

Aquino, A. et al. (2013, December 9). Ecological solid waste management act: environmental
protection through proper solid waste practice. Retrieved from
http://ap.fftc.agnet.org/ap_db.php?id=153&print=1

Mills, A. et al. (2010). Nonparticipant observation. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research.

Retrieved from http://methods.sagepub.com/reference/encyc-of-case-study-
research/n229.xml

Watson, S., & Studdert, D. (2006). Markets as sites for social interaction: Spaces of diversity.
Policy Press.

Zaretsky, A. (2017). What is a public market. Public Market Development. Retrieved from
https://publicmarketdevelopment.com/what-is-a-public-market-2/
I. Introduction *Use RA 9003 as a guide to
determine if people and area
-Public Market meaning comply
-UPLB Saturday Public Market 1. Consumers (in line with
1. When? what ‘characteristics of the
2. Where? consumers’ shows)
3. What? 2. Vendors and Stalls
4. Who? 3. Others if necessary
-Why people go? -Social interaction of the consumers
-Study intro 1. Within their circles
-Glance to objectives (Individual-individual)
2. Among groups (group-
2. Objectives group)
-General objectives 3. Consumer-vendor
-(In list form 1-4) Specific objectives
5. Summary and Conclusion
3. Methodology -Summary
-Research Locale 1. Glance to I and III
1. Where? 2. Paragraph form of II
2. When (time)? -Conclusion
-why? 1. Conclusion of the results
-Population and Sampling 2. Major insight in each
1. Who? objective
-Research Instrument
1. General: Observation
2. Specific: Non-participant
observation
-Data Gathering and Procedure
* Connect with the Objectives
* How each objective be
measured?

4. Discussion of Observation
* Connect with the Objectives
-Characteristics of the Consumer
1. Who?
2. Why?
-Preference on Purchase of Goods
1. What factors?
2. Why?
-Practices in compliance with RA
9003