Editorial #2

An in-depth look of how Cubao, in all of its dichotomous nature, reflects Philippine Society.

 

 

            Cubao is, and has always been, a district of commerce that’s always abuzz with the constant coming and goings of different people. At the heart of this bustling area is the Araneta Center, a sprawling structure built with the intention of urbanizing Cubao. Amidst the rundown buildings and old favorites such as the Farmer’s Plaza, Ali Mall and Isetann, Araneta Center truly is a sight for the sore eyes. With the completion of the Gateway mall, the dichotomy of Cubao became even more pronounced.

            The culture of malling is a phenomenon that has been gathering momentum for some decades. Cubao, with its extremely diverse populace of patrons, appears to be the perfect site for observing the evolving Mall Culture in our society. Before, when one speaks of going to the mall, it is automatically perceived that his main purpose is to go shopping. However, with the advent of the new structures and designs of malls, the statement “going malling” can mean many things. One can go malling in order to shop, to window shop, to kill time or to simply laze about.

            Cubao is a mixture of the old and the new, a patch of Philippine land catering to mismatched cultures that coexist in organized chaos. On one hand, you have the likes of Isetann, once famous, now resembling an abandoned warehouse, Ali Mall, created to commemorate the legendary boxer, Muhamad Ali, now considered as jologs. On the other hand, you have the boldly painted Big Dome, host of the most prestigious events that happen in the country or perhaps, better yet, Gateway mall, priding on its claim to be the first mall built connected to a train station.

            Indeed, Cubao is a perfect breeding ground of binary opposites and of polar extremes. Yet, at the same time, it can also be seen as the melting pot of different social factions.

            The Malling Culture of Cubao, perhaps, epitomizes such claims. In particular, the two most prominent malls in the area; Gateway and SM Cubao.

            SM Cubao, of course, has been around for quite a while. Being a department store, SM provides a one-stop shop for all of its patrons. Moreover, unlike its contemporaries, it has withstood the test of time. Gateway, of course, is considered as an A-list mall, complete with the branded shops and the all time favorite, Rustans. Yet what can be considered as Gateway’s crowning glory is the garden/cafe found at its center and separated from the rest of the building by walls built with glass. It is such a wonder how a peaceful niche can exist in an urban area full of pollution. However, in an ironic twist, when one peeks outside the window of Gateway that face the mall’s “backyard”, he is met with the depressing sight of rundown buildings and stagnant creeks and canals.

            These aspects of Cubao, are perhaps what draw people into the place. The existence of the luxurious Araneta Center in a place that has always been connected to the masses, the state of the art facilities erected beside the rundown buildings of old, the mixture of athletes, actors and actresses, students, workers and professionals navigating the busy streets; they are all pieces of the social jigsaw that is Cubao.