Manila is mall country. And when I say mall, I mean the ubiquitous SM Malls that dot the metropolis. To date, there are over 30 SM Supermalls in the Philippines and 14 of which are scattered in Metro Manila (not to mention the other four branches in China). And SM Prime Holdings is planning to open seven more mega stores, one of which is the SM City Taguig at the Global City slated for launch in 2011.
So yes, Mr. Sy, build more malls. Heck, enclose the entire damn country in an airconditioned dome-shaped structure. If we can't make our blasted politicians to straighten up and realize that Vietnam has already gone past the Philippines in the race to progress, we can atleast be proud of the gargantuan malls that hide the degrading poverty behind its all-encroaching walls.
We Filipinos may not be able to see our country truly wealthy and peaceful, but we can be pretty darn sure that we can always head off to the mall anytime of the day. And malls do exactly what the government seems incapable of doing: make us believe that we are doing fine. Malls have everything: from cinemas and bowling alleys to videoke booths and even ice-skating rinks. These superstructures create progress, even it it's only of the imaginary or fleeting kind. And we can't blame the people for fleeing to this dreamland to escape their dreary lives. There is really nothing left in the country to make us feel good of ourselves as a people. The government fails us. Even the church disappoints us.
No wonder Henry Sy is currently ranked #234 in the Forbes World Billionaires list with $2.7 billion in net worth (he's tied with Oprah Winfrey). Yes, the mall-loving Filipinos made this octogenarian a ridiculously rich man. And judging from the crowd that flock to SM Malls, Sy is bound to rake in more moolah for years to come. I can't really complain coz these malls offer a cheap way to beat the summer heat. When you can't make it to the most vulgar island beach or the haughtiest European capital to escape the sweltering tropical sun, the nearest SM Mall is the place to beat.
So yes, Mr. Sy, build more malls. Heck, enclose the entire damn country in an airconditioned dome-shaped structure. If we can't make our blasted politicians to straighten up and realize that Vietnam has already gone past the Philippines in the race to progress, we can atleast be proud of the gargantuan malls that hide the degrading poverty behind its all-encroaching walls. We Filipinos may not be able to see our country truly wealthy and peaceful, but we can be pretty darn sure that we can always head off to the mall anytime of the day. And malls do exactly what the government seems incapable of doing: make us believe that we are doing fine. Malls have everything: from cinemas and bowling alleys to videoke booths and even ice-skating rinks. These superstructures create progress, even it it's only of the imaginary or fleeting kind. And we can't blame the people for fleeing to this dreamland to escape their dreary lives. There is really nothing left in the country to make us feel good of ourselves as a people. The government fails us. Even the church disappoints us.
But the malls, oh yeah...malls keep us cool and happy.
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