Walking through the polished floor of Robinson’s Place Novaliches, I summoned up the many events that I have stumbled upon in the fifteen years of my family’s settlement in this town. Instinctively manifesting my narcissism as I glimpse into my reflection on the glass dividers of Sarabia Optical, I looked back to the interludes when this slothful town never had a vision of some concrete structure rising in the heart of an everglade. How was life like before SMF (Fairview) and RPN (Robinsons Place Nova, as we friends say)? Oftentimes, my friends taunt me for having dwelled in the mountains. For one thing, they don’t know where Novaliches is, and for some who had gone there, they would say that the trip was so tiresome. Many of the people I know who live in the environs of Manila, Makati, and Pasig were intrigued if I do have a social life in what seems to be a town living in slumber. I often say that we do have malls, and that I am refugee in these massive edifices every time I feel the horrendous fever in our house and the monotony I subject myself into with my daily rituals. It is an amusing thought that I am so swollen with pride to finally squeeze into a pristine civilization.
It is quite interesting to dissect my account of these edifices in recent years. These structures have conquered the geographical landscape of the most urbanized cities and the municipalities in the whole of our nation. The exterior seems to have arms wide-open ready to embrace every prospective patron. More than just the corporeal makeup, it is important that we stress the forces-social, economic, and political-that have molded our contemporary culture.
There is no doubt that the idea of creating these sprang from the domineering free market structure of the economy. This modern philosophy recognizes capitalizing on the people’s patronage of commerce. They see that the industries proliferating in the market have guaranteed the majority better states for themselves. Observing the dynamic routines in these malls, I see a clear demarcation of the ‘masa’ and the ‘elitista.’ Department stores offering discounted surplus and hefty food courts, catering to the most who crave for variety and practicality in gratifying their taste buds, definitely appeal to the ‘masa.’ Posh restaurants and cafes as well as high-end fashion boutiques service the elite. Throughout the existence of these shopping precincts, most of the establishments have tried to fuse the tastes of the two social groups, and many of them have ended up being recognized in their fields.
In spite of the segregation of the people, these malls definitely have marked the diversity in the Filipino culture, in terms of tastes and beliefs. Through the years, it has made a hallmark into giving the conscious individual a clear picture of what it represents in reality. People might say that it is too abstract to say that these malls and everything that happens within it is a microcosm of the Philippine society. It is somewhat a box enclosing diverse individuals and activities. As it caters to a vast number of patrons, it projects a portrait of hypocrisy. The very same portrait that is the Philippine society. It hides the bigotry and the subjugation by covering a flamboyant peripheral grandeur in the polished marble floors, the sporadic illumination, the cudgeling reverberation of the stereo surround equipment, and the pretentious smiles of the sales agents who try to stage-manage the people’s taste and crave for material affluence. In the midst of the youth’s exhausting all opportunities to make the most of their endurance and flexibility, there are those who are engulfed by their need for material gratification. As a consequence, many of them would resort to volunteering as victims of other people’s sexual obsession. Many have attested to this reality, and the walls, the mirrors, and the sliding doors could have been silent witnesses to this corruption of minor.
In the changing phases of the structures, we changed our perception of these as we have realized the flaws, the myths, and the underlying veracity. More than just giving us the inclination to satisfy the necessity to fulfill our desire for material sanctuary, we dive into a pool, or perhaps, an ocean of mediocrity as we momentarily repress the tribulations of the humanity and plunge deeper into a transitory oblivion. These enterprises have made us create another illusion of the humanity’s evasion of his concerns. Perhaps, the one thing that we have attached our culture is the satirical treatment of our actions. We never fail to laugh at our earnestness in various times. However, will we ever resort to this kind of travesty?
Many may not agree with my statements, but that is what I think of these edifices. They are built to capitalize on the society’s mediocrity. I may indulge myself into these ephemeral dealings, because I am a self-confessed mediocre.
