At the Secret Base Café in Dagupan, Gundam enthusiasts from Pangasinan gather to build models, play games, and discuss anime's deeper themes. This community, starting from a mall food court, has grown to 1,500 members sharing 1990s nostalgia. Through podcasts and friendships, they heal their inner child.
At No. 58 Rivera Street in Dagupan, Pangasinan, residents from the city and surrounding towns gather at the Secret Base Café as if following a ritual. There, they do not just go for coffee; they play card games, board games, console games, and—most notably—build Gundam figures, known as gunpla.
According to Carlo Liwanag, one of the 'builders,' the space has provided a platform for cosplayers and Gundam builders. The models on display are built by the café's regulars. The Pangasinan Gundam Builders (PGB), also known as Pangasinan Gundam Enthusiasts, has grown to around 1,500 members, says Aaron Valerio. It has come a long way from the group's first meet-up at a shopping mall food court in Pangasinan. Now, intimate friendships have formed, along with sponsorships and partnerships, particularly among enthusiasts from the 1990s and older generations.
Ryan Jay Manuguid, another PGB member, shared how the 1990s anime show Gundam Wing began gathering Pangasinan Gundam enthusiasts and how the broader fandom views the anime as an exploration of serious topics like class strife, racism, effects of war, and other themes. The community also produces a weekly podcast focusing on hobbies, upcoming events, and the profound—philosophical, intellectual, and political—meanings fans see in Gundam narratives.
As noted by author Mary Joyce Camille A. Paragas, a faculty member at Pangasinan State University, this youth-oriented nostalgia helps '90s kids—mostly middle-aged people and career-oriented dads—heal their inner child while keeping the era's spirit alive.