Last Saturday, I went with my mother and sister to Divisoria to look for “cheaper” products. I don’t want to go at first but my sister won’t stop bugging me to go with her to trinoma afterwards to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks. I was hesitant but was convinced even though I know I will be facing traffic, lot of pollution and a chance to see a snatcher or unluckily, be snatched.
It’s not the first time I went to Divisoria. I could still remember how my mom would bug me to go with her everytime we would visit Manila when I was still in HS. It’s a feast before for me to see such cheap products compared to how much i pay for the copyrights and taxes in shopping malls but there came a time that I felt that my marginal propensity to consume products in divisoria to slope negatively.
First, I hate the way we travel from Project4 QC to Tutuban area in Manila. Imagine the distance from Gateway Cubao to 168 shopping mall. You have to take the LRT then take a cab or Jeep to Tutuban, then walk about 100 meters to 168 mall. Aside from the fact that the LRT system is not a good public government investment(imagine paying 12 pesos for a 40 worth of ride and letting people from Mindanao,who are not using the LRT, pay tax for the train), I hate the place more and more.
We can’t even see a cab! All you can see are jeeps, jeeps and more jeeps. Its a good thing that the LRT station is just on the route of those jeeps going to Divisoria. Negative Externalities are around-the smokes, trashes, poos and the not so nice smell of the place. Worse,last saturday we have to walk under the scorching heat of the sun since the damn jeepney driver made stop 2 blocks away from 168.
Lastly, I have a confession.
I have this fascination of looking at Chinese stuffs like whitening soap and face products.Not that I want to use one but It leaves me wondering who the heck buy those products which is being endorsed by starlets Iwa Moto and worse, singer-dancer-comediane-exhibitionist-faggot looking Mystica. It was really a total laugh when i saw that poster of Mystica. I wonder if the advertiser of that product thought of the concept of reverse psychology or he just wanted to give shoppers a laugh.
Right now, I an still not convinced by the low price in Divi. The fact that I don’t know why the prices are low(think of tax evasion and illegal smuggling and the loss in GDP it makes) and thinking of these products with labels I can’t understand (think of the a supply and demand curve without the right labels) give me creeps.
