Beyond the confines of our homes and workplaces, coffee shops serve as one of the socially constructed environments that embody a unique sense of place and communal solidarity. Although coffee shops actively participate in the profit-oriented machinery of capitalism, these establishments provide conducive spaces where individuals can engage in activities like working and studying.
Recently, there has been a hate train directed towards people, notably students, who tend to overstay in coffee shops. The issue started when a popular Scottish vlogger named Dale Philip shared a TikTok video expressing dissatisfaction with Filipinos who spend extended periods working or studying in these places.
In the video, Philip zoomed in on a group of customers, seemingly students, occupying space within a Starbucks branch in SM Baguio and uttered his complaint about the practice of people treating coffee shops as if they were personal offices.
It is appalling that this kind of frustration toward café-goers exists. Living in a country permeated by capitalist-driven and investment-oriented transformations, having free and accessible public spaces is elusive, therefore compelling people to overstay in alternative places like coffee shops.
As claimed by the Alliance for Safe, Sustainable, and Resilient Environments, the Philippines grapples with a shortage of open public spaces, a problem exacerbated by the apparent lack of prioritization by the government. Public libraries, parks, and community centers that promote and enhance the residents' quality of living remain on the periphery of development.
Instead of having free and accessible public spaces, the prevailing trend has been the promotion and execution of neoliberal projects. Over the years, landed elites have converted public spaces into new commercial centers, business districts, shopping malls, luxury hotels, and high-rise residences in pursuit of attracting capital and achieving a neoliberal agenda in this globalized economy.
Prominent examples illustrating a profound dedication to neoliberal globalism are Bonifacio Global City and Rockwell Center, which have undergone extensive transformations to project images of global sophistication. What was once designated as public space has become exclusive to a more affluent demographic privileged enough to partake in a globalized lifestyle.
Public spaces, supposedly havens of social engagement, have succumbed to a conspicuous transformation designed to cater to the preferences of the ruling class and private investors. The innate communal essence of these spaces has been willingly sacrificed in the name of profit-centric functionality.
As public spaces undergo privatization, their fundamental purpose—to foster a sense of community, interaction, and shared experiences—has been eroded as financial gain takes precedence over the collective well-being of society.
Moreover, it is significant to highlight that behind the obsessions to mirror global affluence are the seemingly endless problems of poverty, inequality, and despair that continue to cast a shadow over the neoliberal aspirations of the country. This dichotomy is strikingly captured in places where socio-economic inequality is vividly displayed through the co-existence of opulent buildings and impoverished shanty towns.
Our country’s privately planned spaces primarily serve the needs of a few people from the upper classes. Collaborative initiatives between the government and the private sector contribute to this exclusivity, evident in the construction of highways, skyways, and expressways. Notably, these infrastructural developments deviate from the aim of facilitating convenient and accessible pro-commuter infrastructures, thereby perpetuating a system that prioritizes the interests of the privileged few over the broader needs of ordinary citizens.
In essence, the lack of free, accessible, and open public spaces forces people into submission to private and commercialized environments driven by consumerism. Coffee shops emerged as substitute public spaces for those who do not have a conducive environment to study or work.
Given this reality, the government must provide free, accessible, and open public spaces for ordinary Filipinos. Creating an inclusive design of public spaces makes communities more livable, equitable, and prosperous and contributes to the cultivation of a shared sense of attachment and belonging for all.
Article: Shamma Roi S. Mabini
Cartoon: Darren Waminal
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