Sabalu Farmers Market Reopens at Garapan Fishing Base

​Following a challenging four-month hiatus in the aftermath of Super Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi, the Sabalu Farmers Market officially reopened its doors at the Garapan Fishing Base on Saturday, August 1. Rebuilding from the ground up, local farmers, artisans, and traditional medicine practitioners gathered to welcome the community back and push for stronger local agricultural resilience.

According to Alexandra Villagomez, Kagman Agricultural Farmers and Producers Association (KAFPA) treasurer, which organizes the weekly Saturday market, originally aimed to open earlier in the summer but was forced to delay, giving growers more time.

“After Sinlaku, we decided to open a month after, but a lot of the vendors weren't ready, so we had to cancel that and we decided to open up today, August 1st,” explained Villagomez. She added that the organization has been directly assisting members in their recovery by providing "tokens"—small financial aids “to help with whatever you have lost, you know, such as seeds, seedlings, or the soils that you need to start to grow again.”
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For many farmers, the devastation was total. One of the vendors Katrina Bundoc shared the stark reality of the agricultural loss caused by the severe weather.
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“Our vegetables and our plants got all the damage, so we are from zero, so we need to establish... from the very scratch,” Bundoc said. Despite the struggles, she remains optimistic about the reopening. “Hopefully our expectation is that more people come and support local farmers and support all the vendors here, and hopefully more vendors join us to sell here and bring more alive here in Garapan.”


​While fresh produce remains the core of the market, traditional Chamorro medicine is also seeing a revival. Susan Castro Cabrera, originally from Rota, has been bringing age-old natural remedies to the market to help the community stay healthy, especially during flu and rainy seasons. She offers traditional medicine made with Musa bananas and rare sibukaw tree bark.


​“It's like a calling from my mom,” Cabrera shared, noting her mother was a renowned traditional healer (suruhana). “It's my turn to help the community out and bring back what our ancestors have brought down from generation to generation.”


​Glenn Manglona, KAFPA president is strongly urging residents to use the reopening as an opportunity to change their buying habits and boost food security in the Marianas. Manglona emphasized the broader economic impact of shopping at the Sabalu market over big-box retailers.


​“Now we're trying to get back to our feet, we ask our community to help support our local farmers... reduce the reliance on imported goods,” Manglona stated. Noting that around 95% to 97% of goods in the CNMI are currently imported, he added, “If we put our resources and help our farmers, we can decrease that.”


​The Sabalu Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Garapan Fishing Base. Farmers or vendors interested in joining can participate for a $10 weekly fee, with a $20 annual membership available for those looking to formally join KAFPA and access potential disaster relief support.