Category: Destination Pinas

J.P. Rizal Street in Barangay San Roque, Marikina, is a small, tasty street where you can buy pasalubong, which are little treats that say “you were here.” Traditional puto and kutsinta from Marikina, small-batch native treats, pandesal and bakeshop gift boxes, and classic carinderia/garage-eatery comfort food can all be found tucked between sari-sari shops and family-run bakeries.

The local rice cakes and nibbles of Marikina have a rich culinary history. Traditional kutsinta and puto, with their distinctive brownish hues from muscovado and atsuete, have been handed down through generations of families in the city. As a result, speciality shops offering these and other goods have sprung up along streets that see a lot of local foot traffic, such as J.P. Rizal in San Roque, creating a convenient one-stop pasalubong strip. Some of Marikina’s most distinctive dishes, according to travel and food journalists who have covered the city’s cuisine, are variations on puto.

Notable shops & stalls you’ll find on J.P. Rizal (San Roque)

Below are representative places that frequent visitors recommend or that have public listings — good starting points when you explore the lane:

• Aling Remy’s Puto & Kutsinta — a longstanding, iconic maker of Marikina-style puto/kutsinta with listings that place it on J.P. Rizal. Many food guides and directories list it as one of the go-to stalls for local rice cakes. Location.
• Auntie’s Bakery, Restaurant & More —since 1984, a community bakery with pasalubong goods as well as classic bread, pastry items, and a restaurant in San Roque but located in the Gil Fernando hub has been open. You can still shop for pasalubong and eat here. The place is a little high-end. Location.
• Snack Wise Delicacies & Pasalubong Center — a larger pasalubong/packaged-sweets shop. Location.
• Mommy Choleng Pasalubong Store — a smaller family-run pasalubong shop that appears in local social listings. Location.
• Food lane staple: Goto Garahe nearby — the J.P. Rizal stretch also has well-loved eateries — for example, Goto Garahe (a garage-style goto) is repeatedly mentioned in local press as being located along J.P. Rizal near the pasalubong cluster. These little eateries make the street more than a shopping strip — it’s a place to taste before you buy. Location.

(Note: many stalls are family-run and may move or change hours seasonally; treat shop names/addresses above as reliable starting points but confirm locally if you need exact hours.)

Pasalubong sellers on J.P. Rizal use several common price formats you’ll see across small food shops in Metro Manila:

1. Per piece — for single items (e.g., single puto or kakanin pieces sold at market counters). Useful if you want to sample.
2. Per pack / per box — the most common for take-home pasalubong; boxes or trays of puto/kutsinta or assorted kakanin. Local examples show boxes in the PHP ₱100–₱300 range for mixed small boxes depending on quantity and vendor. (Example: travel/food videos and reviews show shops selling mixed puto boxes around ₱120 as a ballpark).
3. By weight (kilo) — less common for pastries but used sometimes for bulk native delicacies or sweets.
4. Bundle/combos — bakery + specialty snack packages (e.g., pandesal + jams, box sets) priced as a single bundle.
5. Custom / made-to-order pricing — for larger quantities (holiday trays, party orders) vendors will quote per order; many family-run shops accept advance orders for bigger batches. Many shops provide phone/Facebook contacts for orders.

Payment methods: Pcash remains king, but many stalls and eateries in the area accept GCash / e-payments or have updated payment options — especially in the last couple of years — so it’s worth asking at each stall. (Some eateries and food features list both cash and GCash as accepted methods.)

How to get to J.P. Rizal (San Roque) — practical directions

J.P. Rizal in San Roque is walkable from several Marikina nodes and well-served by LRT2 + jeepney/bus routes. Here are the main ways visitors get there:

From LRT-2 Santolan Station (recommended if you’re coming by rail)

• Exit Santolan LRT-Ligaya / San Roque is within walking/taxi distance (many transit guides list Santolan as about a 10-minute walk / short tricycle/jeep/taxi ride to parts of J.P. Rizal). For most convenience take a short tricycle or ride-hail from Santolan to Ligaya beside The Ayala Mall Feliz.

From Marikina Public Market / Marikina Park

• J.P. Rizal runs parallel to some of the market/food areas; you can walk or ride a jeepney that plies J.P. Rizal particularly jeeps that ply the Pasig-Marikina routes to be found in the Marikina Sports Center sidestreet. The public market is a natural starting point if you want to combine wet-market shopping with pasalubong stops.

By car / ride-hail

• Plug the specific shop address into your maps app (many shops have Waze/GMaps listings). Parking on a busy stretch can be limited; smaller lots or street parking near eateries may exist but expect to walk a short distance. Snack Wise and other pasalubong centers are listed on map services for driving directions.

Visiting tips and what to buy

• Best times: early morning to late morning is great for fresh rice cakes and baked goods (many sellers bake early). Avoid the late afternoon rush on market days if you want to browse slowly.
• Try before you buy: many stalls sell single pieces so you can sample puto, kutsinta, ube halaya, or specialty jellies before buying boxes.
• Preservation & transport: native rice cakes can be moist — keep them cool and eat within 24–48 hours or refrigerate if you’ll keep them longer. For travel, request airtight boxes or ask for packaging suitable for the trip home.
• Order ahead for holidays: popular shops often take made-to-order trays and boxes for Christmas/fiestas — call their listed phone/Facebook pages to secure orders. Many family shops advertise contact info on social listings.
• Cash + GCash: carry small bills for quick buys; have a GCash option ready in case a shop prefers e-payment. 

A sample walking route (quick plan)

1. Start at Santolan LRT-2 → Ligaya (beside Ayala Mall Feliz) short tricycle / 10-minute walk to J.P. Rizal (San Roque).
2. Walk along J.P. Rizal between barangays San Roque / Calumpang: look for the cluster of small shops and eateries (Aling Remy’s / Auntie’s / Snack Wise are good anchors).
3. Taste at a garage-style eatery (e.g., Goto Garahe) for a local sit-down breakfast before you buy pasalubong to take home.

J.P. Rizal’s San Roque pasalubong strip is quintessentially local: modest storefronts, family recipes, and friendly sellers who’ve been feeding Marikina for years. You’ll leave with more than snacks — you’ll take home small stories (and perhaps a box of warm puto) that make Marikina memorable.

VIAJERO KULTURA PILIPINAS: MARIKINA’S PASALUBONG NOOKS