Locked Doors

Lack of trust. That is at the core behind almost every situation one might find strange in the Philippines. From barbed wire fences around every house to dark tint on all the car windows it is lack of trust and a fear of robbery or murder which motivates the actions of Filipinos.  It is why there are security guards with shotguns at grocery stores and malls.  It is also why the there is only one way in and out to said grocery stores and malls.

Take this picture from SM as a prime example.

Here to serve? No comment!  But take a look at the doors.  There are four doors and only one is open. Two of them are blocked by tables because management decided to set up an eating area in the front of the store. If you zoom in you can see that these doors are not just locked, they are padlocked.  Or rope locked. 

Can you say fire hazard? It is bad enough that the doors are inaccessible but in an emergency when everyone is panicking and time is of the essence these rope locked doors will turn out to be a very bad idea.

And it's all because there is no trust in the Philippines. Look at this entrance to Ayala Mall.

Everyone enters through one door and then they divide by sex to be searched by either a male or female guard. All the while a drug sniffing dog looks on. Why is there a drug sniffing dog at the mall?  This is not the first drug dog I have seen at the mall. Is the mall territory for drug dealers now?  Upstairs in this same mall is a fire door which has been taped shut.

Why is an emergency exit door taped shut? Don't ask me! How about another mall? This time Robinsons. Just like every other business this mall has one way in and one way out!

How has Robinsons Mall passed the fire inspectors examination when they lock their doors? If there was an emergency it would turn into a disaster because everyone would have to squeeze through one door.  The only reason the reason there is one entrance and exit on this side of the mall is because lack of trust. Gotta have a security guard at each door watching who goes in and out.

Check out the two entrances to this brand new hospital.

One of them is wide open with no gate and a security hut to watch over all comers. The second is barred shut with metal garbage. They couldn't even bother to install a proper gate. No doubt they boarded up this entrance because there is no security guard booth. So why not build one? Why must every entrance have an armed guard in the first place?  Because in the Philippines you can't trust anyone.

Vegetable Vendors at the Grocery Store

There are a lot of things in the Philippines I do not and never will understand. One of those things is a grocery store, in this case Robinson's, allowing vendors to sell their vegetables on the steps of the store.

Look at these people.  They are simply in the way. In the last picture the vendor is leaning on someone's car! And in the picture before that the produce is in the of any car who wants to park!   Why does the management allow this?

Well it turns out they don't! I asked them about these vendors and they said they have been told to not come around but they cannot be controlled. They were told to go away but they keep coming back.  So what good are the security guards??

I think if Robinsons really wanted these people to leave they would make sure they left. It's not that hard to make unwanted people leave.

Picture of the Week: Exact Change

What is this sign? No, really. WHAT is THIS....SIGN!!!??

Why is she wearing sunglasses on that hat!!!?

Do I need to tell you what it is? It's a sign of what you can expect from the Philippines. 

Does SM really need to post a sign at the cash register telling customers they will be provided exact change? That should be a given! Not an extra. Everyone should expect exact change when they make a purchase. 

It's so hilarious how when you give any cashier at any store any amount of money they will say, "I receive xyz pesos." Hilariously pathetic.

It's all about the culture of distrust that is prevalent throughout the Philippines. Sad but true. It's hard to trust anyone here so these kinds of measures are taken to reassure folks.

King Arthur in the Philippines

Boooksale is a great little used bookstore in most all the malls in the Philippines about which I have written previously. I love the place. I have found many good and rare books on its shelves. Over the past two years I have built up a lovely collection of books related to Arthurian legends.

Le Morte d'Arthur, Parsival, Myths and Legends of the British isles, The Once and Future King, Idylls of the King, The Story of King Arthur and his Knights

A few weeks ago I was browsing when all of a sudden I saw Thomas Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur. I snatched it up real quick. It's a Norton critical edition with the complete Winchester manuscript and is in Middle English with no modern spelling. It cost P250 which is a phenomenal price being as the book retails for much more than that.

Of all these books The Once and Future King is the least uncommon. I have seen it in Booksale many times in several editions one of which was just the first section The Sword in the Stone and was a tie-in to the Disney animated film. But all the other books are not so common. Parsifal, Idylls of the King, those are kind of rare. Le Morte d'Arthur, especially in this edition, I would imagine is even rarer. What are the chances that any of these books would end up not just in the Philippines but in my hands in the Philippines?

If you are in need of an interesting and cheap book stop by the mall and head over to Booksale.

Malling is More Fun in the Philippines

So this is what it has come down to. This is the level to which the Department of Tourism has sunk to promote the country to foreign tourists and which the taxpayer is paying for.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/05/19/1919055/malling-more-fun-philippines

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is positioning the country as a shopping destination as it partners with SM Supermalls to launch the “Malling is More Fun in the Philippines” campaign. 

“This nationwide campaign invites locals and tourists to experience why shopping, leisure and entertainment in the Philippines is truly more enjoyable,” the DOT said. 

Based on DOT data in 2017, shopping was the number one activity of tourists visiting the country, with 51.60 percent of visitors hitting the stores. 

Shopping is also where tourists spend money, amounting to $20.90 of the 2017 average daily expenditure per capita of $125.65. 

The DOT maintained that building up shopping tourism in the country would also spur economic growth, create millions of jobs, livelihood and enterprises. 

SM Supermalls said it continues to serve as a venue for meaningful family bonding moments where everyone can indulge in extraordinary malling experiences with its 70 malls nationwide. 

“Malls have become the modern day plaza and safe community spaces for families and friends to share moments together through shopping, dining and fun experiences,” SM Supermalls chief operating officer Steven Tan said. 

“SM’s partnership with the (DOT) celebrates the best of the Philippines through a range of fun fairs and fiestas,” Tan added. 

As part of the “Malling is More Fun” campaign, mall goers are invited to participate in special activities in SM Supermalls all over the country. 

These activities include culinary demos, regional food fairs, exclusive dining deals and the SM Supermarket Chefs Showdown.

This is not a joke. It's all very real. The DOT and SM are partnering up to promote the Philippines' most untapped resource of all: the mall. What about Ayala and Robinson? Why are they being left out  of the picture? 

One would think the DOT would focus on promoting the Philippines meaning the land with all its natural beauty and special places to see and experience but alas that is not the case.  

To achieve the projected growth in tourist numbers and expenditures over the next decade. the Central Philippines will have to move to an investment-driven strategy. Outside of Cebu and Boracay, little investment has taken place in recent years in the Super Region’s tourism sector. The result is that the tourism industry is totally reliant on its natural attractions as the motivation for tourists to visit. But the natural attractions, though unique in many ways, are not sufficiently strong in themselves to attract the numbers required to support a significant tourism sector. This is a primary factor driven strategy and characterized by infrastructure inadequacies, limited investment in product, insufficient accommodation, medium to low quality product and inadequate airlift.

http://www.tourism.gov.ph/tourism_policy.aspx

Can you believe it? The DOT on their very own website admits that the natural attractions of the Philippines "are not sufficiently strong" enough to attract visitors! If the problem is lack of infrastructure which limits access then you would think the DOT would lobby for more roads to be constructed. Rather they have accepted defeat and have now turned to promoting the malls of the Philippines as tourist attractions.

If they are going to promote the Philippines' malls to foreigners as tourist attractions then they need to implement a few very important changes at every mall.

1. Toilet paper

The malls need to put toilet paper in every stall.

Imagine being a first time newbie tourist from the West and you are at the mall enjoying fine Filipino food like McDonald's or Seattle's Best and all of a sudden you need to go. Surprise! There is no toilet paper and now you are in a right mess. What a nightmare. Foreigners, especially westerners, are going to expect toilet paper to be in the bathroom stall and it should be there.

Welcome to the Philippines. Be sure to carry a roll of TP at all times. Just in case.

2. Escalator etiquette

Filipinos do not know how to use the escalator and they need drastic education. Signs are not enough. There has to be a whole campaign. Stand on the right, walk on the left. It is annoying as anything to get stuck behind several people leaning on the rails when all you want to do is head on to your destination. Foreigners are not going to expect undisciplined use of the escalator because everywhere else the universal rule of stand on the right and walk on the left is followed.

Totally unacceptable

3. Noise

This is less of a problem but still a problem. Sometimes there will be a sale in the courtyard or centre area of the mall and loud speakers blasting atrocious techno, rap, or rock and pop will be rocking and you cannot even talk to the person you are with.  There is no need for this especially inside. Turn it down. Why can't they have one small speaker that is giving information about the sale rather than blaring loud and pointless music from a huge stack?

Unnecessary!

4. Scammers

I don't know what SM's policy is on kiosks. How do they evaluate sellers who want to rent one for a short time? Some of these people are scammers. I should know I got pulled into one when I was told I would be given a stove for free.  This led to a sit down and conversation and more free stuff being offered and a telephone call and then being told I have to pay P7000, the price of one item, to get all the other junk for free. What a waste of my time. What a waste of anyone's time.


5. Credit Cards

Believe it or not not every store at the mall accepts credit cards! This applies mostly to restaurants and kiosks. Do foreigners carry around a lot of cash? They might. They might not. But foreigners are going to be used to the ease of using a card without having to carry around a lot of bills. It is safer for them too. No one wants to be robbed. The malls should make sure all stores are equipped with credit card machines and those who are not should have signs reading, "Cash Only."


If this new DOT campaign is sustained Bacolod City could get an influx of tourists in the coming years.

https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/05/25/1920603/megaworld-putting-p12-b-lifestyle-mall-bacolod

The mall will showcase a blend of neo-classical and art deco architecture, reminiscent of New York City’s Upper East Side cityscape. 

“We are curating an architectural masterpiece that depicts the cosmopolitan vibe of our Bacolod township. This is just the first mall that we are building in this township because there is still more room for future expansion,” Tan said. 

Thus, the mall’s design will be highlighted by a 48-meter high iconic clock tower that illuminates even at night, making it a major landmark along the six-lane main avenue of the township that stretches from Lopez Jaena St. to Circumferential Road.

Hopefully this "lifestyle mall" with an iconic clock tower and modelled after NYC's Upper East Side has toilet paper in the stalls! I doubt it. The special twist of the Philippines is that they will build something so modern and expensive but the toilets won't even have the modern luxury of toilet paper!

Shopping can be a fun way to pick up a cool souvenir. I bought a magic carpet at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. There is good food to be had at the night markets in Taipei. I bought my favourite hat at a market in Cusco. However a market is considerably different from the mall. They have a character that is all their own and the products sold are unique and locally made. The mall is corporate conformity offering products foreigners can find back home.

What the DOT is actually doing by promoting malls as tourist destinations is reinforcing a worldwide, homogenous monoculture that has absolutely nothing to do with the Philippines and in fact contributes to the erosion of Filipino culture by assimilating it into the Borg of global consumerism.

It's too bad the DOT is not promoting the markets in the Philippines. Are there any worth promoting to tourists?

Loud Music Transforms SaveMore Into a War Zone

How is anyone supposed to enjoy shopping when SaveMore has the volume on the music turned all the way up!?  Look at this beast:

Those two speakers are pumping out a BOOM-BOOM-BOOM jam that is so loud your body is shaking as you pass by and what is the point even?  Because there is a sale? How about just give me a flyer with all the sale items listed. As it is all I hear is loud music and I don't see a single item for sale.

When you walk in you are greeted with another set of loud club music coming from speakers overhead. So now there are two different sets of loud music blasting at customers as they come in and as they stroll about.

If that's not enough over in the non-food department they have this little but powerful monster blasting even more jams:

What is the point? Is this thing for sale? Were there some items for sale on that platform? If they are all gone why is this music continuing to play? All the idle grocery clerks were sure enjoying the jam as they stood around nodding their head to the beat.

So now there are three sets of loud, unnecessary, rude, aggressive, bassy, club music shouting at you as you walk around the store and all you really want to do is get your items and get the heck out where it's nice and quiet. SaveMore gives you no time for strolling or window shopping. It's a war zone and if you don't know what you need and exactly where it's at you will be caught in the cross fire of all those speakers blasting out their angry sound waves.

This loud, aggressive club music blaring in your ears as you walk about the store is unnecessary and uncomfortable and out of place. Who really wants to hear all this noise this when they are out doing their shopping? Anyone? As I was leaving an old man was walking into the store holding his ears and with his shoulders shrugged up to his neck and he was shouting something to the guard which I couldn't understand because of the loud music but was undoubtedly something like, "Why is that music so loud!?"

Listen for yourself.

Broken Shopping Cart

I went to Ace to buy some dog food and this is what happens. I go to get a cart and the thing is totally busted up. Why? Why leave this in the store? It's completely useless.  Might as well throw it away!

As if a little string can fix this mess.  I was going to use it to transport an large bag of dog food. No way would this cart be able to handle that.

Do you see the string this cart is tied together with? That is the de facto rope used to tie everything down in the Philippines. Transporting a large object on a tricycle? Use this flimsy string to hold it down. Did you buy a large object and it's a bit clumsy to carry? Wrap this flimsy string around it and create a handle. Did you buy a huge box of snacks to resell at your sari sari store? Secure the box with this flimsy string.  

SM Supermarket Follies

Why is it that every time I go shopping to buy dish soap SM is either out of stock or all the bottles have cracked caps?

What is the problem exactly? This must be a factory issue. Are they screwing the caps on too tight? And why are they put on the shelves in a damaged condition? Why does the management allow this? Are they aware of the problem? Have they alerted their suppliers to this problem? When the stockers refill the shelves do they not notice that the bottles are all cracked? Or do they think this is not a problem at all?

I do my best to keep these bottles upright but on the way home they always spill and cause a mess.   Sometimes the bottle has already leaked and when you pick it up your hand gets all slimy with soap.

It's always a relief to find bottles that aren't cracked.

Look at this girl checkout girl:

The reason the line is so slow is because she has no bagger to bag the groceries! She has to do everything herself. Why is this almost always the case?  Why is it SM has 20 lines and 5 cashiers with only 2 baggers to spare?  Some shoppers will just stand and watch her but I am too impatient for that so I always start bagging my own items if need be.

Oh man what now!  Better hope the manager 100 feet away in her little booth is paying attention or else she won't see the cashier is in trouble. What is this? High school? Why does she have to raise her hand holding a tiny little ping pong paddle in order to get help? Why not have a little button she can  push and lights start flashing? That would get their attention much faster.

This cashier is either out of change or needs to void an item she scanned. In the Philippines cashiers always run out of change and can never void an item without the manager assisting them.

It's always best to shop at opening time. No lines. No waiting. No nonsense.

A Respectable Businessman

I think this guy is Chinese. Right behind his shoulder is a Chinese idol. He is most certainly the proprietor of a store selling fake name-brand shoes. I don't have a problem with fake brand shoes except that they usually only last a few months.  After 20 miles the sole starts wearing away and soon after there is a hole in the bottom. I was going to buy a pair of fake Nike's which looked as if they had a sturdy, thick sole but not all the eye holes for the string were cut out so I said forget it and went somewhere else.

But not before I snapped the owner's picture. 

Nothing says respectable businessman like a t-shirt with a sexually suggestive double entendre writ large across the front. Is he even aware of what he is wearing?

While I was buying fake brand shoes my helper bought himself a few pairs of Calvin Klein Underwear.

Did I say Calvin Klein?  I meant Cellvin Klain!

Bad and Weird Shopping Deals

Buy one get one free. Half off. Free X with purchase of Y.  These are deals every shopper comes across in the store.  While shopping in the Philippines I have come across some downright weird and perplexing deals.

Free peanut butter with purchase of toilet paper.  Which Filipinos even buy toilet paper? I should like to meet them. And what has toilet paper to do with peanut butter? Free toilet cleaner would have been a more useful item to pair with toilet paper.

Exchange 200 US dollars and get two batteries?  Or is it a whole pack of 4, 8, or 16 AA batteries? Either way it does not make sense. One wants the best exchange rate when changing bills. That should be the only consideration when making that transaction.

Buy 10 and take 1?  10???  Who needs 11 toaster ovens?  And who would spend 74,000 pesos to get one free toaster oven?  You could buy one toaster oven and use the change to buy the new and overpriced iPhone X.

I think these bad deals might be symptomatic of deeper culture issues. Symptomatic of the need to get the best deal possible at the expense of someone else. I can't count how many times I have heard, "Can I get a discount?" Symptomatic also of how gullible Filipinos are. None of the above deals are deals. They offer nothing useful to the consumer. Yet some will be take in or wish they could be taken in by these supposedly good deals.

These horrible and plain stupid deals are more proof that businesses in the Philippines do not care about the consumer at any level except to grab his cash. They are merely trying to get rid of overstock with no regard to the needs of their customers. And why should they bother to care?

Filipinos are not smart shoppers. They are easily taken in by fake deals and fake news.