From Pandemic Market to Community Tradition

How One Resident Helped Turn a Weekend Initiative into a Lasting Neighborhood Movement

FEBRUARY 20, 2026 | FRIDAY

: 5 - MIN READ
From Pandemic Market to Community Tradition
Loida Secillano with kids in costume during a Halloween celebration at SMDC Trees Residences’ weekend market — showing how the space has grown beyond selling essentials into a hub for community bonding.

In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, uncertainty weighed heavily on communities across the country. For residents of SM Development Corporation (SMDC)’s SMDC Trees Residences, what began as a small, practical solution soon evolved into something far more meaningful.


For homeowner Loida Secillano, the pandemic was more than a test of resilience — it was the spark that turned her from an ordinary resident into a community champion. A resident at SMDC Trees Residences since 2018, she was one of the first to join the weekend market at the height of the lockdowns. What began as selling face masks and alcohol soon grew into something deeper: a responsibility to lead and a chance to keep her neighbors connected.


“I thought I was just helping for a season,” Loida recalls. “But the market became my purpose. It wasn’t only about selling — it was about serving, listening, and making sure no one felt alone.“


A Market Born Out of Necessity



The Trees Residences weekend market opened in 2020 with just ten modest stalls. Many of the sellers were displaced workers, teachers seeking supplemental income, and overseas Filipino workers who had returned home abruptly as borders closed


The weekend market at SMDC Trees Residences during the pandemic
The weekend market at SMDC Trees Residences during the pandemic

Together, they created a lifeline for families who struggled to buy food and medicine under strict mobility restrictions.


“Our goal was survival,” Loida explains. “Every stall was a story of someone trying to provide — not just for their family, but for the whole community.“


The Trees Residences weekend market in its early days, when sellers started with simple tables as stalls.
The Trees Residences weekend market in its early days, when sellers started with simple tables as stalls.
Residents buying fresh produce at the weekend market, without the need to leave their community
Residents buying fresh produce at the weekend market, without the need to leave their community

Among them was a couple who had worked on a cruise ship before the pandemic forced them home with no income. “They were scared and uncertain,” Loida remembers. “But through the market, they found a way to earn again. They told me that beyond the money, it gave them hope and a reason to wake up each day.”


From Survival to Weekly Tradition



What began as a response to crisis soon transformed into a Saturday routine. The market expanded to nearly 30 stalls, with residents and visitors alike making it part of their week.


Every Saturday, people look forward to the market,” Loida says. “It stopped being about buying and selling. It became where we saw each other, where we laughed, where we remembered we weren’t just surviving — we were living.
Every Saturday, people look forward to the market,” Loida says. “It stopped being about buying and selling. It became where we saw each other, where we laughed, where we remembered we weren’t just surviving — we were living.

The tradition even grew into celebrations: Mother’s Day events, Halloween for the children, ballroom nights for seniors. The market was no longer temporary—it became the pulse of the community.


Building Bonds Beyond Business



The weekend market became a bridge for neighbors. Seniors, PWDs, and single parents no longer had to leave the property to meet their needs. Families discovered friendships across stalls.


COVID-19 vaccination drive held at SMDC Trees Residences, where Ms. Loida led fellow volunteers in partnership with the Red Cross and the QC LGU—bringing protection closer to the community during the pandemic.
COVID-19 vaccination drive held at SMDC Trees Residences, where Ms. Loida led fellow volunteers in partnership with the Red Cross and the QC LGU—bringing protection closer to the community during the pandemic.
Neighbors at SMDC Trees Residences sharing a meal at the weekend market — turning ordinary Saturdays into moments of connection and community
Neighbors at SMDC Trees Residences sharing a meal at the weekend market — turning ordinary Saturdays into moments of connection and community

“It gave us comfort in the middle of fear,” Loida reflects. “When people say the market saved them, they don’t just mean financially. It saved us emotionally too. We found strength in each other.”


A Tradition That Lives On



Five years since it began, Trees Residences weekend market continues every Saturday—and has since inspired similar initiatives in other SMDC communities.


The legacy of the Good Guys Weekend Market lives on as residents extend their efforts to food rescue operations—proving that what began as a place for livelihood has grown into a tradition of sharing and community care.
The legacy of the Good Guys Weekend Market lives on as residents extend their efforts to food rescue operations—proving that what began as a place for livelihood has grown into a tradition of sharing and community care.

“When SMDC gave us the space, they gave us more than a venue,” Loida says. “They gave us trust. And when people are trusted, they rise. We proved that a community can be built not just by walls, but by people showing up for one another.”


For Loida, the market is a legacy of resilience and unity. “It began in crisis, but it continues in hope,” she says. “This market will always remind us that when neighbors step up, they can become family.”


Carousel Image
Carousel Image
Carousel Image