In the age of online shopping, it’s easy to forget the magic inside the local bookstores.
Yet, places like Lily’s Bookstop in Laguna’s first district still stand, a testament to the importance of physical stores.
Patrons who visit Lily’s may not be aware of it, but the “mom-and-pop” bookshop has a long and storied history.
The first branch was opened in 1960 at the Biñan Public Market by a couple who had a deep passion for education.
According to the granddaughter, the store was named after her lola and that her grandparents previously owned a school, inspiring them to open an affordable bookstore.
Ups and downs
In 1978, the store relocated to J. Gonzales, Poblacion and changed the name from Lily’s Gift Shop to Lily’s Bookstore.
From there, Lily’s bookstop flourished and they were able to expand from different branches in Laguna. In 1985, the first branch in San Pedro, Laguna was opened, and two years later, it was able to expand to Pacita Complex.
In 1988, Lily’s Santa Rosa City branch was opened and then, in 2003, the store entered into Laguna’s second district with branches in Cabuyao and Calamba cities.
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, however, Lily’s had to face the realities of life under quarantine.
Its flagship San Pedro store in Barangay Poblacion was forced to shut down as the pandemic and the subsequent shift to online learning took its toll.
It was a blow to students and adults alike who have seen the San Pedro branch as an institution in the city’s downtown area, long a part of their childhood.
“Nung estudyante pa ko dito ako palagi bumibili ng mga paper needs. Di ko kase talaga afford mag nbs kaya hanggang dito lang ako sa Lily's. Kumpletos rekados yan. Di ako uuwi ng walang nabibili. Last June, jan pa ko nakabili ng ibang ginamet ko pang decorate sa birthday ng baby ko. Super daming memories,” one netizen commented on a post by The South’s PH post last July 2020.
Community engagement still relevant
Four years forward, and the Pacita Complex branch of Lily’s still thrives. For Ate Marites, branch manager of the Pacita Complex store, the fact that Lily’s had already established connections with the community was the prime reason it had survived.
“Kahit maraming mga usong gadget, hindi pa rin, may hahanap-hanapin pa rin talaga sila dito,” she emphasized to OpinYon Laguna.
Going down the aisles of Lily’s will surely take old-timers in a trip down memory lane, with
original nostalgic materials such as ABaKaDa, tongue twisters, Pabula, Short stories, kasabihan, word puzzles and different charts that filled our rooms in our early childhood.
Not only that, the Lily’s bookstop is also filled with toys, ribbons, cards, and stationaries.
Kuya Jojo, a first-time buyer at Lily’s expressed his amazement when he came to the Lily’s bookstop to buy office materials.
“Hindi ko inaasahan dito sa Lily’s, ‘yong hinahanap ko nandito,” he said.
When asked about if the bookstop was still relevant even though there are online shops, “kung walang bookstop lalo na sa mga maliliit na mangangalakal, eh kailangan pang pumunta sa mall, hindi na kailangan dito kapitbahay mo na,” he answered.
In a fast-paced story world where everything is one click away, bookshoops will continue to thrive, as long as there is community around it, not limited to students and teachers.
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