Blown Away by Huge Waterfalls in a Mall in Gensan

The Notre Dame Dadiangas University in General Santos invited me to give a talk in their school. It was a great experience as the participants really appreciated my presentation.

But this blog is not about that.

My morning flight back to Manila got cancelled and I had to take the afternoon flight. I did not want to bother the students anymore on a Sunday and said that I'll just take care of myself while cooped up in their school hotel laboratory. I just asked for a good place where I can have lunch. The coordinator said that Veranza should be very good because it will remind me of Lake Sebu. And my bubble thoughts said, "hmm.... Lake Sebu? Meaning, a restaurant that looks like a forest or located in a lake? With cool temperature?" Then she said that it was only 3 minutes from the school. Bubble thought again - "You mean, there's a forest or a lake in the middle of Gensan?!"

So off I went by tricycle and was actually disappointed that Veranza was actually a new shopping mall in the Gensan downtown! Arrghh! I.will.have.another.fastfood.for.lunch.

I wanted to walk back to the crab restaurant the trike passed by on the way to the mall. But since I was in the mall already, I might as well explore it.

So I dodged the trikes that competed for space with the pedestrians and entered the mall. Nothing spectacular really. But it was nice, and cold. Like Lake Sebu cold. Maybe that was it about Lake Sebu.

Then I went to the next building and saw.... two huge outdoor waterfalls! I have never been so impressed by a modern mall. Well, the Mall of Asia did make my jaw drop when it debuted to the public.

You have to see this video to believe me!


Then I realized the Lake Sebu connection - the waterfalls actually remind one of the 1st waterfall in Lake Sebu. Its part of the 7-waterfalls attraction in that destination.

And i walked deeper and got more impressed.

Veranza really trumps SM and Ayala malls! It definitely inspires!

But i also realized that the owners of the mall may regret putting this feature and not doing enough to maximize its impact. For one, the visitor flow system fails to put central focus on the waterfalls. The wall and the water cascades could have been designed to turn them into a cinematic attraction. It could have incorporated the "selfie" culture of now-generation. It could have been a hugely unique and impressive mall feature. Anyways, I hope that this kind of inspired mall development could become a benchmark that would make modern structures that are designed to make a better community, inspire its people, and not just be another maximum profit-designed concrete box.