Sugbo Mercado Market, I.T Park – The Ultimate Guide For Travellers

Sugbo Mercado is one of the premier eating destinations in Cebu. The market is open from Thursdays through to Sundays and is located inside one of the most popular parks in the city, I.T. Park.

If you’re looking to try unique Philippino dishes or other international dishes at an affordable price and mingle with both locals and tourists then this is certainly the place to do it.

The market has an incredible atmosphere and is open from 5pm through until Midnight. There’s no charge to enter the market, so you’re free to wander around or come specifically for something to eat.

How To Get To Sugbo Mercado Market

Sugbo Mercado is located inside Cebu I.T Park. We walked from the nearby Ayala Mall (not to be confused with the newly opened Ayala Mall inside Cebu I.T Park) and it took us around 20 minutes.

For those looking to travel to Sugbo Mercado by bus, you’ll find the Geonzon street bus stop right next to the Garden Bloc (inside Cebu IT Park) where Sugbo Mercado is hosted.

Consider taking either a white coupon taxi or a Grab from your location to Sugbo Mercado.

These will both drop you off outside the bus stop next to the Ayala Mall, around 100 metres from the entrance to Sugbo Mercado.

Pro Tip: We suggest using Bo’s Coffee to book your journey home, we simply bought a drink and got a wifi code there.

You could be more responsible than we are and get a sim card from Klook to use while your in the Philippines.

Sugbo Mercado Market Guide

Sugbo Mercado Market is completely free to visit and is open every Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to Midnight. 

Having been originally found by five people, one of whom had their own unique catering business came together and held their first market in 2015.

The market was created to become a hive of activity and community with not just the older generations but younger ones. Creating a great place to hang out and enjoy great food.

Today you’ll find Sugbo Mercado at various locations and events across Cebu City including The Market at Mandaue City and Sugbo Mercado at Garden Bloc I.T park.

The market slowly grew and opened up to new vendors to attract a new and younger audience. It now is a hive of activity for people of all ages and tastebuds.

The vendors have changed over time but that is almost the charm of the market, as you can keep going and trying new dishes, cuisines and find new independent businesses to follow.

Sugbo Mercado is host to over 20 different independent businesses ranging from food, desserts, drinks and souvenirs.

Each of the vendors that are selling at the market is vetted and the food is tasted so only the best of the best food gets to sell at the market.

In the centre of the market, you’ll find a large stage that sees local live music, which really gives this place an incredible atmosphere.

Pro Tip: The majority of the meals at Sugbo Mercado require you to eat with your hands with gloves.

If for whatever reason, you don’t want to do this you might want to cosider taking your own reusable cutlery.

Along with the many places to eat there is also a wide area of seating. The seating is located within the middle with the vendors around the edges. Making it easier to walk around and browse. 

Pro Tip: Wear flat shoes or trainers as the park ground can be a little uneven and hard to walk on in places.

Designed to seat up to six people, all of the tables at the Sugbo Mercado were kept incredibly clean.

You’re expected to clean up after yourself, taking rubbish to the dedicated bins around the market, however, in addition to this we saw staff wiping down table etc.

As the market is located in the economic zone of Cebu, there is a large focus on recycling and keeping the park clean. It was easy to see that not just the hosts of the market were working hard to reduce waste but also the vendors themselves.

There are separate rubbish bins for Biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. I also loved the large wire baskets that were for the collection of PET bottles. What was even better was that the visitors of the market were also following the conscious effort to keep the market clean and tidy. 

The atmosphere is relaxed and easy-going, with many people coming together to try new foods and even some of their favourites. We found a drink on the next stall which was fresh fruit drinks out of a bag. They were 50 pesos each and came with paper straws.

Alternatively, you can bring in your own drink or there are other vendors selling both soft and alcoholic beverages. You can also find more exotic fruit juices that are made and presented in the watermelon shell.

Where To Eat At Sugno Mercado Market

The whole point of the market is to try all the different foods available. Or just keep visiting so you can try it all. There are over 30 vendors selling different cuisines, styles of food and of course desserts. Finding something to eat may actually be hard as there is so much choice. 

Pro Tip: Walk around the market at least twice so you can see all your choices before picking what to eat. Also, go hungry! 

While you can find traditional food of the Filipinos you can also find Japanese influences food, American style foods and more. Some of the many local dishes include Sisig, Lechon and Boodle. You can find a number of vendors selling these foods.

We chose to try a boodle in which we had panga fish, chicken and prawns with rice. It was 649 pesos for the meal and it was one of the best meals we’ve had during our trip to the Philippines.

Pro Tip: To find the best vendor look for the busiest place or where the locals are eating.

We found a drink on the next stall which was fresh fruit drinks out of a bag. They were 50 pesos each and were really refreshing.