IN THE early 1990s, Victoria Plaza, the oldest mall in the city, opened its doors to Davaoeños along J.P. Laurel Avenue which was formerly known as Bajada.
Nostalgia will definitely struck one while visiting the place or by just simply looking at it now as it is the first shopping mall in the city and every “first” is just unforgettable.
The place occupies a gross land area of 81,000 square meters.
Today, only a few establishments stick with the mall through the years that passed and those include the Footsteps, The Carousel, Pen Haus, Pet Co, Jollibee and some restaurants situated inside and outside the mall.
Footsteps was known for selling top quality shoes and sandals before all the other shoe brands came in. It is the first shoe store that swept off the feet of the shoppers.
The carousel also had its inviting presence that always enticed 90s children to have a go with it as nursery rhymes play in the air while the horses rotate. It remains in the mall and stands with it through time.
As a child, I was among those children who asked their parents to have a ride in the carousel and I had countless memories with it.
The bookshop at the mall was also the go-to place of bookworms as it sells different kinds of books that can boost one’s imagination.
Pen Haus, on the other hand, is a friendly neighborhood for all those who are looking for school and office supplies. I remember that I bought a pen every time I passed by the store before.
Pet Co was also one of the places in the mall where pet lovers often got stuck. Who wouldn’t? They displayed adorable pets such as cats and dogs which are irresistibly cute.
Some of the restaurants in the mall were already gone yet some continue to serve and satisfy every Davaoeño palate.
Today, Victoria Plaza may be old but it will always be a mall that continues to bring the same vibes to shoppers.
It remains a home to a lot of memories that are worth reliving. (Randie Jardin Comilang, University of the Immaculate Conception intern/SunStar Davao)