The Ethnography of Malling (Or Finally entering the mall)

That mall has always been there, unvisited, not experienced, seen from afar as I pass by the area upon constant arrival and departure in and from this city. Last Friday, I finally went to the site of new commerce, apprehended the crowd and realized the deaths of so many things in this expanding community.

In the 50s and 60s, there was one way of understanding the coming of big stores or department stores to a small city or a town. It was called modernization theory and these stores and many so-called "modern" structures were modernizing elements. This means that when a modernizing agent is introduced, change takes place. Thus the name "change agent" for these structures. The massive (by local or even by regional standard) establishment in what used to be a terminal for jeepneys and vans is expected to bring about a change, and this change should be for the good.

Immediately, one senses that there are indeed life-altering systems and processes in the mall. The stores are not local and are designed not to look local. These are national and inter-national franchises expected to be more sophisticated and different from any other local stores. In fact, the presence of the mall localizes the local even more. Next to the fastfood area is a store that has hyped up the most local of symbols, the "pili." Finally the nut that has given the region undisputed identity is national and international. The wrapping is sealed foil and the message is sanitation without question. Does this mean also mechanization? We are not sure. I would not be surprised also if the makers insist that the nuts are virtually untouched by human hands.

Alongside the pili nuts are pastries, which are not necessarily Bikol but by strength of merchandising can be claimed so. If "pili" is here, can Bikol Express and Laing be far behind? An array of small bottles carry names for Bicol dish labeled as such, following the ex0nyms or names given by outsiders. Interestingly enough, Nancy Reyes Lumen, a colleague in Business Mirror, recalls how the name "Bicol Express" came about in one of her articles. She cites how Celing Kalaw and her brother Etring Kalaw concocted a very hot dish and called "Bicol Express."