The best of quiet town life and big city amenities *

Movies often portray big city-living as something people must aspire to. In many ways, big city-living can be a major thrill— with the night life, the mix of different people and cultures (with people from different provinces heading to the Metropolitan cities to work and reside) and having all the amenities that you can possibly fit into a busy, swelling city. I spent almost a decade in Manila; attending college at a university in Quezon City and then working in different cities from San Juan to Makati. When you are young, earning good money and having fun, you don’t really think you would ever want a different life or that you would ever desire provincial living.

But people grow old and change. Now that I am 31 and raising my own little family, I cannot imagine living anywhere else in the country but my hometown Silang, Cavite. In 2005, my husband and I packed our bags, closed our little store in Paco, Manila, and headed back home. That was the best decision we made as a couple.

Silang, Cavite, if you travel in the wee hours of the morning, is just 45 minutes away from Manila. On a regular time, on a regular day, the commute can take two hours from Makati. This probably sounds horrendous to some, but for people who enjoy provincial living, this is a blessing. I feel like I am very far from the chaos of Metro Manila and yet still close enough to make the commute in case I miss the madness of the concrete jungle.

Everything a family could ever need is in Silang. The town has a big public market that is open 12 hours a day, seven days a week. My relatives who reside in Manila enjoy going to Silang Public Market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. There is a world-class golf course in Silang, for those who like to play the sport — the Riviera Golf and Country Club. There are many restaurants in town, from popular fast-food joints, to grill-type restos such as Balinsasayaw Restaurant, and establishments selling lutong-bahay like LZM. There’s really so much this town has to offer that I can’t describe everything in a short article.

For families that are concerned about the education of their children, Silang, Cavite, is the perfect town to live in. Just last summer, three new schools opened in our town: Far Eastern University, Casa Real Montessori and the town’s own public high school. Even without these new schools, the town boasts several public and private schools — from preschool to post-graduate studies. My daughter goes to a progressive preschool that follows the concept of Multiple Intelligence. I have asked around and realized how lucky we are that my daughter can attend such a school for the tuition that we pay. A preschool with the same calibre would cost so much more in Manila. And as if the tuition isn’t already a sweet deal, the school — Elisea School of Creative Learning — accepts recyclables in exchange for deductions in the tuition fee.

What makes living in this town even sweeter is how you can take a 15-minute commute by jeep to Pala-Pala to go to the nearest mall — SM Dasmariñas. Since the mall opened in May 2004, it has filled many of my family’s needs, from birthday cakes to school supplies, furniture and gadgets to even our healthcare needs. I once had a mole on my back removed at a cosmetic center in the mall; it was so convenient that I was in and out of the clinic in an hour. Just several weeks ago, one of the mall’s cinemas was upgraded to 3D. I’m so happy I no longer need to make the trip to Manila to watch 3D movies. We took our daughter to see both Shrek and Toy Story 3 in SM Dasmariñas’ 3D cinema. Both times, we saw several friends in line to watch the movies in 3D. The mall has really become a weekend destination for families in Silang.

With SM nearby, I can enjoy my quiet town living without feeling like something could be missing in my life as far as dining, entertainment and shopping are concerned.

* as posted in Philstar's My City, My SM section