Commerce and society in the urban Philippines : a comparative study

Abstract

Until recently, the negative effects associated with the spread of large retail institutions away from the central business districts of local communities was most commonly identified with towns and cities in the developed West. Over the last decade, however, many urban localities in less developed countries have been subject to these same forces. Based on a comparative examination of Dagupan City and San Fernando City, the Philippines, this dissertation examines the degree to which the emergence of modern shopping facilities has affected local patterns of living in the developing context. It reviews the recent history of retail developments in Dagupan and San Fernando and their impact on the respective city centers and populations at large. In Dagupan, trade concentration accelerated following a major catastrophe in 1990. Although the urban center faced a potential devitalization related to planned commercial developments beyond the urban perimeter, a hollowing out of downtown never happened since these prospective trade projects had to be abandoned following the Asian economic crisis. As a result local socioeconomic activities remained concentrated in downtown Dagupan. In San Fernando, corporate retail development continued to emerge at a gradual pace. This work demonstrates that natural disasters and the conditions they precipitate are instrumental in the spread of urban trade concentration.