Volume 07 June No. 1 2014 The Indonesian Journal of Communication Studies| 1 SANCTUARY IN THE MARKETPLACE: COMMUNICATING RELIGIOSITY AND POP CULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES Edwin F. Lineses De La Salle University-Dasmariñas eflineses@dlsud.edu.ph Abstract Filipinos love to mall and it is no surprise that malls, being business enterprises, proliferate the country because of consumer demands. Malls provide various goods and services in one- stop-shop, including religious celebrations, to draw most people from all walks of life to this cycle of consumerism. The celebrations of mass often become shrouded with tinge of commercialism. It is in this context that a study, using indigenous methods and techniques of ethnography, of the mass-going culture of Filipinos inside the mall is vital in understanding an emergent language and culture of religiosity. It unravels the meaning of the celebration of the Eucharist in the mall from the vantage point of parishioners. This paper proposes an explanation for attending mass in the mall over regular parishes, which is the domain of religious profession. The paper argues that mall provided a sanctuary, a consecrated place of worship, even in the midst of a marketplace. Keywords: Pop culture, religiosity, performance, malling INTRODUCTION “Filipinos love to mall” (Panao, 2008). I do not know to what extent this statement is true. But it is no surprise to me that malls, being business enterprises, proliferate in the country because of consumer demands. In the words of Tolentino (2001), “Malls are ultimately businesses which thrive simply as markets for demands. Incidentally, however, as business tries to meet these consumer demands it also creates more wants. Malls effectively serve as venues where shoppers can feed this cycle of consumerism.” The statement above implies that malls provide various goods and services all under one roof, in one-stop-shop to draw the most people from all walks of life to this vicious cycle. As the mall jingle resonates, “We got it all for you!” Services that are even thought incongruous in materialistic malls are also accommodated. For instance, mall owners provide spaces for the Catholic Church to hold mass celebrations in a “clearly circus-like commercial environment.” (Panao, 2003; Tolentino, 2001). It is no surprise that mass celebrations are held in almost every mall. I have even attended masses in different malls for a couple of times. Worship services there were superficial and that my being there was not a deliberate expression of my spirituality but rather just incidental. I intended to do errands than to celebrate the mass afterall.