LA, LA, LAGUNA!

Critical commentary of space

    PASEO

Our first stop in our field trip to Laguna was at Paseo de Santa Rosa. This place was mostly outlet shops, high end boutiques, and high end restaurants. It reminded me a lot of shopping malls and walks found in west coast USA such particularly the San Diego or San Francisco areas. Even though the place is open for everyone it mainly caters to middle to upper class consumers. This was seen from the lay out of the place vast parking, sparse commuting terminals, almost inaccessible without a car and the tiange and cheaper food stall were separated and segregated from the boutiques and outlets. There is an invisible barrier that would seem to be a deterrent from lower middle class below of people from going there despite affordable prices in some shops. When you go to Paseo you go there to buy something or have something in mind to get there, it is a bit far to just go there and sit down and not spend. The division of classes is literally seen as it is divided into two parts expensive stores and restaurants in one part and cheaper goods and food stall on the other end. No need to ask or interview anyone there about who the target consumer is or what type of location it is Paseo is the Eastwood of Laguna and it mainly caters to the upper classes and marginalizes the rest whether intended or not, it is a rapidly urbanizing area that is primed for a bigger boom.

SM CALAMBA

While Paseo may be called a niche market SM is a hodgepot or a melting pot of it all culture, food, stores, gadgets and everything else. It is accessible by both private vehicle and public transportation. Class does not matter and no one cares about what people want to do  Its a carefree, watch out for your self, do what you want environment. Unlike Paseo SM does not marginalize anyone no one feels out of place or out of range. SM also was a meeting place and a hang out of people it is where they meet and seem to spend the day walking around without necessarily buying anything which is again in contrast to Paseo where you will spend on either it on food or shopping. SM truly is the middle ground which caters to everyone.

LILIW

Liliw, Laguna is known for their foot wear product such as Slippers. The story of Liliw started with the slippers as their main attraction then after awhile they began to cater different kinds of footwear. To me it seemed as if tsinelas making was interwoven to their identity. Mom and Pop shops have been there forever it seems and are passed down from one generation to the next. They seem to have an authentic culture and that what they sell is locally authentic and viable though tainted with the globalizing touch of capitalism. Doing it the old school way like street vending and hand writing receipts, for me, is their own form of resistance. It is notable that they are evolving and that commerce is coming with the presence of 7-11 and some chicken franchises. Liliw presents it self as a self viable community that can provide for it self. They take great pride in their product and in their work ethic, though it may be difficult to get ahead because of the homogenous products they all sell.

Aerobics

The aerobics in SM Calamba and UPLB in my view were vastly different though they were called the same. In SM Calamaba it was mostly middle to elderly women present with about 4 to 5 males and they all seem to know each other. There is an entrance price or requirement and there is a coded uniform system. The area of the aerobics seemed to be highlighted and segregated. It also seemed restrictive because the participants did not have enough space. The music was POP oriented with hit songs and dances being incorporated into the routine, in seemed a gentle and basic routine which allowed for maximum participation.

In UPLB it was different, people did not seem to know each other, it was free entry, no uniform, and the routine was harder. It was my first time to participate in aerobics and boy was I surprised. It worked up a good sweat for me and my class mates who participated. The routine was a combination of basic exercises, stretches, squats, and folk dance incorporation. It was more difficult than the one at SM calamba. The music was a combination of older beat and native music. It was a great and new experience that allowed for deeper understanding of sub-genre in aerobics.

Laguna, Una sa lahat!

We were able to meet the Governor of Laguna and had an opportunity to hear his work, platforms, plans of government, achievements, and governing strategies. I was impressed and saw that he took pride in serving and that he enjoyed what he was doing. The talk about preparedness in calamities and accountability really impressed me. Though the Governor has become a cultural commodity he has remained steadfast to his duty and has even used his popularity to increase the popularity and viability of Laguna. It was a great honor and experience to see first hand what a good public official can do and achieve.