GenSan is 3rd Mindanao city to host National Book Store

A lot have been written about the new branch of National Book Store which just had a soft opening last May 9, 2008 at the Gaisano Mall of GenSan.

First, my good friend Gilbert blogged about it months back, followed by a few more bloggers. Now, it’s as if everyone who has a blog or a Multiply account and is based here has talked about it.

The Tuna Capital is actually the third city in Mindanao where National Book Store (that’s three words) now exists, after Davao and Cagayan de Oro. Surprisingly though, the NBS Corporate Website has not updated its list & nowhere there could you find any mention of their GenSan branch.

Well, anyway, we are still glad that it’s here and discover that it is everything that we in Soccsksargen have ever imagined. I try to drop by at least thrice a week and it amazes me at no end that on every visit, new things are always in store for me.

If you just search every nook and cranny, you will discover some priceless literary gems waiting for you.

Other than its exhaustive merchandise (well, if you ask for it and it’s not available, they’ll order it from their main office for you) is its well-illuminated and tastefully done interiors which does not assault the eyes.

Much of this has got to do with its location at Gaisano’s upper level just beside the main entrance. It allows it to have its own display window parallel to the mall’s main road (see picture below). Thus with it directly facing the east, just imagine how bright it is inside when the sun’s rays shines through. Only downside to this is the observation that the area near the window is quite warm and would need more air-conditioning.

National Book Store in Gaisano Mall is right beside the main access road of the Mall and can be seen through a floor-to-ceiling display window.

Once you get inside the main doors of the mall, you won’t miss National’s entrance because it’s located to the right of the main doors of the new atrium.

Although its floor area is smaller than its branches at the Gaisanao Mall of Davao and SM Davao, it makes up for it by having a mezzanine for its bestsellers, which can be accessed by two winding stairs, one of which is shown below.

The rest of the pictures below are taken from the mezzanine and will show you views of the ground area.

This one is shot from the back end of the mezzanine.

This picture was taken from the other end of the mezzanine, just above the display window.

Lastly is this picture of the mezzanine, which is wide enough for only two averaged-built people to stand shoulder to shoulder but could get quite difficult for chubs like me. This area could use their own airconditioners too because it is quite stuffy making it uncomfortable for browsers like me.

But we don’t have time to fret about that, don’t we?

With National’s trust in the economy of GenSan, and the confirmation from the City Mayor’s Office that Robinson’s has just presented their “Commence to Construct” (or whatever you call it) directive from the Gokongwei‘s for their Mall and Hotel at their 8-hectare lot along the Lagao Road, then it’s only a matter of time when all the big players for literary junkies like me (Powerbooks, A Different Bookstore, etc.) will come up lining the doors of the Tuna Capital.

And that deserves another series of posts here, of course.

Promise.  🙂