perfect pics for a perfect day.. nov 1.. spooky!!!!

I still like Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Parañaque.
It really looks like a park and it's not spooky at all.

i should have gone to the cemetery if I were in the Philippines but instead I'm mugging for the exams... baah!! i miss everything in Pinas ... anyway, let's just pray for our departed loved ones... and nice pics master dudz! now back to mugging... :sleepy:

@ richpol, wars can also play to our advantage on the other hand, coz if everythin was destroyed, it couldve been much easier for the govt to implement a best ever metropolitan master plan for manila after 1945, but sadly, that wasnt the case...

@ boybaha, its quirino :)

EDITORIAL: A new deal for Manila Bay
Friday, November 04, 2005

A LANDMARK class action filed in 1999, which held the government liable for the pollution of Manila Bay and responsible for its cleanup, has ended happily for the petitioners. Happy days, in fact, may soon be back to the once glorious bay by the boulevard.

In its 12-page decision in October, the Court of Appeals of the Fourth Judicial Region has ordered 11 government agencies “to consolidate and coordinate their efforts in rehabilitating and cleaning up Manila Bay.”

The case was built on the strength of Presidential Decree 1152, which directs the government “to upgrade water quality in the country,” and on volumes of documents that describe how pollution in a huge body of water, particularly in urban areas, such as Manila Bay can cause incalculable damage, risks and hazards to water supply, economic growth and human health.

The court and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, one of the agencies cited in the case, have declared Manila Bay unsafe for humans, having exceeded the acceptable level of 200 mpn (most probable number/100ml) for fecal coliform, bacteria from human and animal waste.

Manila Bay was once world famous for its beauty, a clean and clear body of water “where families could picnic, swim and fish in abundance” until deterioration set in after World War II. Now, the bay harbors 80,000 mpn of fecal coliform and high concentrations of heavy metals; fishing is banned and residents reportedly get sick and die of related diseases.

“Manila Bay lies at the apex of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Triangle, the richest marine waters on earth,” said Antonio Oposa Jr., an environment lawyer who led a band of law students from the University of the Philippines and residents in the bay area in waging a six-year legal battle to restore Manila Bay to its pristine glory.

“Its sad state is a reflection of our irresponsibility in the management of this national and natural treasure,” Oposa said in a report.

The landmark case is another supreme example of good citizenship, of ordinary folk making a difference through deeds that call for perseverance and sacrifice. The petitioners went to court to fight side issues of government immunity from suit and proper venue. They weathered failure to exhaust administrative remedies and insisted on their demands: cleanup of the bay, cleanup and monitoring of ports and harbors, compliance with rules on septic and sludge removal, cessation of dumping of industrial waste and oil, among other things.

The government agencies named in the case should be shamed. What the court is compelling them to do, in answer to the petitioners’ complaints, is no more difficult than the tasks they are assigned to perform in the first place.

We understand their constraints, however. Funding, most importantly. The Clean Water Act alone, according to a World Bank study, would need at least P25 billion for the first 10 years if it is to succeed. Falling under the mandate of the law is the containment and cleanup of bodies of water, including the rehabilitation of heavily polluted ones.

The World Bank suggested that the government, through the DENR, should secure private-sector participation and investments. One source of funding is discharge permit fees as well as fines penalizing water pollution. But again, this line of action will work only if it is carried out correctly and consistently.

For now, we can only be convinced that the good efforts and good intentions of the citizens who fought for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay will not go to waste once we hear from the government agencies involved in the case.

What we want to see are specific actions for the cleanup as well as the schedule and budget for their implementation. We also call on these agencies to strictly monitor and inspect violations of the Clean Water Act in relation to the Manila Bay issue, and to sue citizens and entities for fines and possible imprisonment for violation of the law.

Finally, following the example of Antonio Oposa Jr. et al. v. Government, we hope to see a strengthened public participation in the cleanup of Manila Bay, an endeavor from which we will all benefit.

EDITORIAL: A new deal for Manila Bay
Friday, November 04, 2005

A LANDMARK class action filed in 1999, which held the government liable for the pollution of Manila Bay and responsible for its cleanup, has ended happily for the petitioners. Happy days, in fact, may soon be back to the once glorious bay by the boulevard.

In its 12-page decision in October, the Court of Appeals of the Fourth Judicial Region has ordered 11 government agencies “to consolidate and coordinate their efforts in rehabilitating and cleaning up Manila Bay.”

The case was built on the strength of Presidential Decree 1152, which directs the government “to upgrade water quality in the country,” and on volumes of documents that describe how pollution in a huge body of water, particularly in urban areas, such as Manila Bay can cause incalculable damage, risks and hazards to water supply, economic growth and human health.

The court and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, one of the agencies cited in the case, have declared Manila Bay unsafe for humans, having exceeded the acceptable level of 200 mpn (most probable number/100ml) for fecal coliform, bacteria from human and animal waste.

Manila Bay was once world famous for its beauty, a clean and clear body of water “where families could picnic, swim and fish in abundance” until deterioration set in after World War II. Now, the bay harbors 80,000 mpn of fecal coliform and high concentrations of heavy metals; fishing is banned and residents reportedly get sick and die of related diseases.

“Manila Bay lies at the apex of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Triangle, the richest marine waters on earth,” said Antonio Oposa Jr., an environment lawyer who led a band of law students from the University of the Philippines and residents in the bay area in waging a six-year legal battle to restore Manila Bay to its pristine glory.

“Its sad state is a reflection of our irresponsibility in the management of this national and natural treasure,” Oposa said in a report.

The landmark case is another supreme example of good citizenship, of ordinary folk making a difference through deeds that call for perseverance and sacrifice. The petitioners went to court to fight side issues of government immunity from suit and proper venue. They weathered failure to exhaust administrative remedies and insisted on their demands: cleanup of the bay, cleanup and monitoring of ports and harbors, compliance with rules on septic and sludge removal, cessation of dumping of industrial waste and oil, among other things.

The government agencies named in the case should be shamed. What the court is compelling them to do, in answer to the petitioners’ complaints, is no more difficult than the tasks they are assigned to perform in the first place.

We understand their constraints, however. Funding, most importantly. The Clean Water Act alone, according to a World Bank study, would need at least P25 billion for the first 10 years if it is to succeed. Falling under the mandate of the law is the containment and cleanup of bodies of water, including the rehabilitation of heavily polluted ones.

The World Bank suggested that the government, through the DENR, should secure private-sector participation and investments. One source of funding is discharge permit fees as well as fines penalizing water pollution. But again, this line of action will work only if it is carried out correctly and consistently.

For now, we can only be convinced that the good efforts and good intentions of the citizens who fought for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay will not go to waste once we hear from the government agencies involved in the case.

What we want to see are specific actions for the cleanup as well as the schedule and budget for their implementation. We also call on these agencies to strictly monitor and inspect violations of the Clean Water Act in relation to the Manila Bay issue, and to sue citizens and entities for fines and possible imprisonment for violation of the law.

Finally, following the example of Antonio Oposa Jr. et al. v. Government, we hope to see a strengthened public participation in the cleanup of Manila Bay, an endeavor from which we will all benefit.


hooorayyyyyy to those involve in this :applause: Sana lang umaksyon talaga sila(the gov't agencies involved and the citizens) and at di lang puro sabi sabi o sulat sulat. Hope all the Filipinos will learn how to act upon themselves and abide with the law or good programs of the government :grouphug:

^that is another task that's a piece of cake if they'll really implement it. Manila bay environs can be so beautiful once you remove all the trash surrounding it.

here are some pictures that I took when I was around the Manila area yesterday....

Manila City Hall.. taken while I cross the Lagusnilad..
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/pfcea7c3953a46a66a5ce9ccc4797f07e/f195fe9a.jpg

the España Tower along España Blvd..
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/p91dc77325569534b48cb14269c9b141b/f195f5fc.jpg

plying the Andalucia St... going under Recto Ave...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/pbe91a05c6db06fcc8dd96bc8427aacd9/f195f5c1.jpg

Quiapo Church area...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/pb15d99fce11461b27c709f458c5cdd49/f195f241.jpg

along Roxas Blvd...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/p4cf3c145f7b057fc456703e2d5cc5a3d/f195ef7f.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/p66e422b1c047f85c2453746d81c205ba/f195f039.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/pb1e734d79cc485cda9cd406bc54859b3/f195edfe.jpg

the Baywalk...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/p2e42872cede385e63555ea1568f48520/f195f748.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/p11bab6bd8e7a8f88cba2f01b25d06645/f195eb05.jpg

The Manila seafront as viewed from the Bay City in Paranaque...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/pab53b08c634e08974990d68cf824ad94/f195dc91.jpg

nice pics. thanks

I'll add this one more....

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid193/p5bd2e601259e43dcc3cb8a76428f6c56/f195dada.jpg

I truly enjoyed those pictures PauP1 :). I'm somehow glad that the Manila streets and landmarks are still recognizable to me. Traffic and smog pa rin lalo na sa Recto. Salamat!

:okay: That reminds me, i really dislike going through A.H Lacson Avenue in Manila as most of the traffic lights dont work! :rant: It creates unnecessary chaos, wish they got them fixed.

hi,
everyone have a look at the panorama shot of manila skyline on top line of the skyscrapercity forums ! what a beautiful shot ! how to copy it into a message to be able to print it ?

pau_p1, Beautiful pics! showing the life and the complexity of Manila. The one with the Philippine flag is my favorite hehehhe

^^ Whoa! Nice shots, richpol Good ol' Aristocrat is still there. I remember the delectable Bar-BQ chicken with java rice. :okay:

That's got to be one of our national treasures! Chicken BBQ, java rice, and atsara....mmmmmmm!

pau_p1, Beautiful pics! showing the life and the complexity of Manila. The one with the Philippine flag is my favorite hehehhe

thanks for the appreciation... :D anyways... that is my favorite spot too at the Baywalk.... it looks very nice on that spot...:D

pau_p1 - thank you so much as you are one of the wonderful pinoys here that not only takes their time to bring us updated images of our beautiful country and motherland, but for also promoting our country and the many natural things it has to offer :)

another nice set pau! i really like the water reflection on the last photo...parang salamin! :okay:

just adding these...a few weekends ago

bonifacio montage/tableau
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/bonifacio.jpg

gomburza
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/IMG_0127.jpg

lapu-lapu
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/IMG_0201.jpg

Is Lapu Lapu sculpted in bronze? I remember reading somewhere that he's actually just molded from resin and during storms, you can see him swaying. Is there any truth to this?

Awesome shots of the sculptures, Dudz! Your angles actually made them almost dynamic. Can we have a separate thread on all just Philippine sculptures dotting Metro Manila?

lapu-lapu
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/IMG_0201.jpg


is this the monument on Rizal Park? in front of the Department of Tourism?.... I think it's not Lapu-Lapu but instead, he's Sultan Kudarat... :D

It's Lapu Lapu-- installed by Lito Atienza to replace the VERY ugly Binhi ng Bayani that was installed for the Centennial in the old roller skating rink. It's an improvement, despite the non-existance of a link between the City of Manila and Lapu-Lapu.

There's plenty of debate about whether Lapu Lapu deserves to be in Rizal Park.
Should Lapu-lapu be in Rizal Park? (http://www.inq7.net/lif/2004/feb/09/lif_34-1.htm)
Opinion: Lapu-lapu at the Park (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/feb/22/yehey/opinion/20040222opi1.html)
Cebu: Lapulapu City Denounces Removal of Statue from Rizal Park (http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/ht/ht004464.htm)
Once More... Lapu Lapu Stands at the Luneta! (http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/ht/ht005109.htm)

well it's almost like getting a replica of the Rizal monument (btw there's one in Madrid too) in the middle of Cebu City. Just quite not right. but both are national heroes.

you did it again with your new set of pics dudz! :cheers:

@DUDZ- nice job! :okay: You never fail to impress me. :)

Which President is buried in the Manila South Cemetery? His tomb occupies the central circle.

Here's an interesting piece of information: Manila South Cemetery is located within the physical boundaries of Makati. However, it is officially a part of Manila. When the City of Manila wanted to expand its cemetery and found that North Cemetery had no room, and no room was suitable within the city of Manila, they purchased this plot of land just south of Manila from unincorporated land. This plot of land became the Manila South Cemtery and is officially an extension of the physical territory of Manila. Kind of like a satellite.

@boybaha, you're referring to the tomb of Pres. Elpidio Quirino. (I'm not sure about this, but I think Pres. Manuel Roxas is also buried in South Cemetery.)

Lunch by the Bay @ Harbour Square

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/rich_168us/Image23622.jpg

@boybaha, you're referring to the tomb of Pres. Elpidio Quirino. (I'm not sure about this, but I think Pres. Manuel Roxas is also buried in South Cemetery.)

Yes, I think i was thinking of Quirino. I know he's buried in the central circle of Manila South. I didn't notice any big mausoleum with Manuel Roxas's name on it.

Lunch by the Bay @ Harbour Square

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/rich_168us/Image23622.jpg

This is total getaway first-rate tourist destination potential!

kaya lang di masyado maganda smell dyan..

This is total getaway first-rate tourist destination potential!

yeah the smell is not so great. But they can remedy that if they really want too.

What does it smell like? I've never been too near that place when we visit Manila.

same sa Pantalan area.. kaka turn off minsan kumain don...

amoy pusali / kanal..

What does it smell like? I've never been too near that place when we visit Manila.

Lunch by the Bay @ Harbour Square

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/rich_168us/Image23622.jpg

gorgeous!!! I can't wait to see the heading of papers "Dining in Style right at the heart of Manila Bay" :)

Kulang lang ng umbrella sa table. Feeling ko magmemelt ang hair product ng mga kumakain dyan. Pero maganda.

gaganda ng mga pics... thanks to dudz almighty, pau_p1 & richpol.

@ richpol: on Lunch by the Bay, photo yan o painting o photoshop? galeng! ok i-frame.

gaganda ng mga pics... thanks to dudz almighty, pau_p1 & richpol.

@ richpol: on Lunch by the Bay, photo yan o painting o photoshop? galeng! ok i-frame.

photo yan. Quite blurry kasi camphone lang ang ginamit. This pic was taken by my sister :D

Btw, they bay near the area doesn't stink hehe the smell is more pleasant than some of you guys might think. The last time I visited, there were some foreigners with pinoys drinking coffee.

photo yan. Quite blurry kasi camphone lang ang ginamit. This pic was taken by my sister :D


ok nga e, parang painting ni juan luna. maganda yan i-frame & itabi sa parisian life or spolarium.

thanks a lot again guys. may quota kasi ako sa photos na ipopost ko...1 million:D

Is Lapu Lapu sculpted in bronze? I remember reading somewhere that he's actually just molded from resin and during storms, you can see him swaying. Is there any truth to this?i was thinking it's bronze, mike. but if it's made from other materials and sways on strong winds...well, that would be something:D

Awesome shots of the sculptures, Dudz! Your angles actually made them almost dynamic. Can we have a separate thread on all just Philippine sculptures dotting Metro Manila?this is a great idea lili...i actually have photos of some more and i guess the other members as well:)

@sleepwalker_uno: iba na naman ang tawag mo sa akin ha!:D

salamat uli:)

nice photo richpol:) parami ng parami ang mga dining places around that area pero kelangan talaga dyan may lilim saka mamaintain na malinis ang tubig. di nga maganda minsan ang amoy dyan. also noticed the broken lamp(?)...kawawa naman...yung frame nya puro kalawang na:doh:

kaya lang di masyado maganda smell dyan..


You think smell would stop Venice from being a famed attraction?

But Venice had no smell when I was there. They treat the water there. Corny nga lang mag-gondola ride ng nag-iisa. The gondolier was making googoo eyes at me. Shucks! :doh:

^^ And you went ga-ga and fell head over heels for him? :lol:

No he went googoo but I didn't go gaga. :lol:

so hindi ka tuloy nakapag-emote? hehe!

Hindi nga eh, paano everytime you have to go under a bridge, you have to kiss someone special. Paano na 'yan? Baka lumobog na ang Venice. Eh kesa maghintay pa ako ng Prince Charming ko, travel na ako sa Venezia para feel. Pero kulang sa feel eh. lol.

photo yan. Quite blurry kasi camphone lang ang ginamit. This pic was taken by my sister :D

Btw, they bay near the area doesn't stink hehe the smell is more pleasant than some of you guys might think. The last time I visited, there were some foreigners with pinoys drinking coffee.

actually... the Manila Bay has been smelling a lot better this past few years... the old stench of the Bay has been diminished since the Baywalk was developed... the breeze from the bay no longer have any smell....

What does smelling better smell like?

What does smelling better smell like?

little to no smell at all :D

amoy canal? pero kaunti na lang?

amoy canal? pero kaunti na lang?

amoy septic tank siguro.

Sa Seattle walang amoy yung tubig sa Puget Sound.
They have the best fish & chips I've ever tasted. No need for fancy dressing.
I like the cod fish variety.

konti na lang??

amoy utot na lang! oopss

pero nung nasa baywalk kami.. at nag uulan.. ay mabaho pa rin eh.. inde ko pa rin ma take..

amoy septic tank siguro.

bwa ha ha ha ^ pero really that's sad. why rehabilitate something half assed.no pun

I was there two weekends ago , no smell. It's seasonal or maybe a certain time of day and also depends exactly where you are. Definitely people eating in harborview don't seem to mind. In fact I've never smelled anything bad there, except the heavy sea smell (which exists in any place near the sea) sometimes.

the smelly part of the bay is that one around the north harbor. the one around or near the yacht club is definitely not smelly...

She smells sea shells by the seashore. Sea smells like sea smell by the seashore.

Sea smell is definitely good and not smelly somehow I don't smell that anymore at the bay. Since they're promoting it as one of th etourist attraction it should be odor free. It might fly with locals but not with foreigners.

But Venice had no smell when I was there. They treat the water there. Corny nga lang mag-gondola ride ng nag-iisa. The gondolier was making googoo eyes at me. Shucks! :doh:


Venice just started to really treat their water completely not that long ago, but a part of Venice's reputation for a while was about the smell of the water as well as the birds.

honestly, never pa ako naglakad sa Manilabay or bumaba lang ng car kung dumaraan kami doon, kaya di ko alam kung meron amoy lol!. Sabi sa akin ng mom ko dati daw super stig daw yun Manila Bay dahil dun pa sila nagpipicnic with no smell and trash at all tapos medyo pumanget ang Bay Area nung 80's to 90's. Buti ngayon at least pinapaganda na nila.

Chinoys habang nagpipicnic sa Manila Bay

Noon: -- amoy melon
Ngayon: melon amoy!!

(Tsinoys, pls. don't be mad at me.)

well I think bustero is right.. the smell of the bay differs on the day... i think that after the rain.. the water smells bad... because of the dirt that is washed to the sea....

there have been more than one occasion that I haven't smelled anything bad from the bay....

Chinoys habang nagpipicnic sa Manila Bay

Noon: -- amoy melon
Ngayon: melon amoy!!

(Tsinoys, pls. don't be mad at me.)


HAHAHAHAHA that was funny and unexpected :)

Chinoys habang nagpipicnic sa Manila Bay

Noon: -- amoy melon
Ngayon: melon amoy!!

(Tsinoys, pls. don't be mad at me.)

hahahha :lol: reminds me of my mom. She mispronounces r with l and vice versa

baywalk has a new attraction...the coke vendo!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0113.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0115.jpg

since nasa baywalk na tayo...also took these...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0163.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0166.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0144.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0161.jpg

after the SEA Games, we will have this...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0164.jpg

baywalk has a new attraction...the coke vendo!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0115.jpg

wala ba itong sugar? hehe great shots there bai..

Great pics, as usual... :) Those BMX bikers-- are they just a bunch of youths having fun or was that an organized event?

That Coke Vendo is MASSIVE. Is that part of the run-up to SEA Games or is it just like a billboard?

I really love how people have taken the Baywalk and made it part of their lives again. I remember when people used to tell us not to go to Roxas because of the scaries. It looks like people just go there because it is a great place to go. Parkland is an attraction.

What is Buboy Butanding?

the boardwalk has been cleared of all of its temporary structures...hopefully we'll see some heavy equipment working on this project soon!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/f53a5996.jpg

was thinking how's the view from the breakwater behind boardwalk...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/2f007a24.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/6fa68571.jpg

in b/w
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/IMG_0154.jpg

sick and tired of hearing negative news bout our country.. check this site: http://www.positivenewsmedia.ca/

go out there and do something positive.

thanks sugbuanon and mike.:)

Those BMX bikers-- are they just a bunch of youths having fun or was that an organized event?
That Coke Vendo is MASSIVE. Is that part of the run-up to SEA Games or is it just like a billboard?

I really love how people have taken the Baywalk and made it part of their lives again. I remember when people used to tell us not to go to Roxas because of the scaries. It looks like people just go there because it is a great place to go. Parkland is an attraction.

What is Buboy Butanding?those bmx bikers were just having fun. they actually use a mound of sand as their ramp! talk about ingenuity!:haha:

the coke vendo is i think just like any ordinary vendo with a twist:D it's just that instead of just the vending machine they placed the vendo inside an inflatable(?) and add stools where people can sit and drink their coke...cool!:hehe:

baywalk is really a great place for the whole family. it gets quite crowded at times!
the waters are a lot cleaner now but not 'really clean'. and there are plenty of fish...the fingerlings type though...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0111.jpg

and buboy butanding is the mascot for the ASEAN Para Games. it's a whale shark commonly found in sorsogon.

Wow thanks for the pics. I'm surprised those fish can survive there he he.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bay%20area/roxas%20blvd/IMG_0163.jpg


Good to know that dogs are on leashes when being walked; are owners also instructed to pick up after their dog's poop and dispose of it to maintain the cleanliness of Baywalk? :colgate:

Nice pics, dudz! Its great to see Filipinos enjoy outdoor activities over indoor ones such as malling.

@ Kimber - i dont see those dog owners carrying a plastic bag;) In Canada, it is law that you must pick up after your dog:D

Details:
http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/3661/pawis2zn.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Exhibit A: Lampin sa likod para hindi mapawisan ang baro.

haha. ito talagang si lolo mike. :D nice photos. napaka-natural ng dating. :)

Kawawa naman yung furry dogs, ang init pa naman sa Pinas.

nice pics kuya dudz! good to know that life in the bay is coming back! yes, even the fishes are alive lol because I thought all the fishes in the bay are dead hahahaha :lol:

sick and tired of hearing negative news bout our country.. check this site: http://www.positivenewsmedia.ca/
Thank you for the site, at least it's one news source that does not focus on bad news alone:)

Details:
http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/3661/pawis2zn.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Exhibit A: Lampin sa likod para hindi mapawisan ang baro.


HAHA

BTW, love that photo

Details:
http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/3661/pawis2zn.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Exhibit A: Lampin sa likod para hindi mapawisan ang baro.

baka sya si Darna... (see exhibit A.1 at samahan)

^ Hehehe. Kung ito, para hindi mapawisan ang t-shirt, yung kay Darna para hindi mapa... ay wag na lang. Baka magalit si Ate Lili.

haha. talagang di pa rin mapigilan ang katatawanan sa costume ni darna.

ok mapupuno na tong thread na to kaya magpopostpostpost na naman uli ako ng pics. asa mga deleted metro manila threads to pero ala pa sa any manila, my manila thread. :weirdo: sensya na walang camera ngayon

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid119/p754e03bd1cf0c747ca191ab4b440ce3b/f873d4a7.jpg
hilera ng mga bayani sa luneta. nagbabantay sa mga pilyong magnobyong natambay magdamag

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/p39d41246dcaf9470ce4bacfc5cf51122/f893d454.jpg

walang nagawa ang magandang sunset para pigilan ang mga sakim na nagpapatayan sa bay...nung unang panahon. ngayon mapayapa na ito at masarap tambayan lalo na pag in love(?) :weirdo:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/p6fa85eaef4683d1f9f5169c63e58c125/f893d865.jpg

dahil sa tag-hirap na tayo, magpailaw tayo ng husto kasi ang ganda tignan. hilera to ng mga seafood restos sa may manila bay bandang kalaw at quirino grandstand. kaya magpakabusog tayo sa masasarap na seafood. wag lang isipin na galing sila sa may karumihang manila bay. :weirdo:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/p445f67dce2dc91d85a197b5cf1a3d747/f893d867.jpg

parang nasimento si bayaning andres bonifacio sa pagtataka kung bakit anlaki ng nagbago sa maynila. gusto man niyang salakayin yung mga taga city hall (na tanaw niya) sa mga paninira nito sa makasaysayang mga lugar, gusali at pangalan ng kalye, wala siyang magawa dahil rebulto na lang siya. :weirdo: :cheers:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid118/p10b0bed453408e88dec9918b17de0c0b/f882734c.jpg

ito ang gusaling yuchengco sa pamantasang de la salle. kay puti at kay linis. pero kailan lang andami na namang isyu nito re dun sa ineligibility ng basketball players nito. ang kulit. :bash: wawa naman kami. mag aral na lang kaya uli tayo? :weirdo:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pc179f9947a03c2bfae140300bd47dbb7/f8942f0a.jpg

siyempre hindi lang naman design to. so tama ang hinala ko. yung sine serve nila sa restos ay galing manila bay. yum! :weirdo:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pc658d01d65c4c0d3b3f43a901880fc57/f8943217.jpg

tanaw ang city hall na yung clock tower lang ang maganda. :weirdo: :bash:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pd1afabf559bfc26216056682f842dba1/f893e170.jpg

pagod na ang shoppers sa kaka hunting ng items na hinahanap at sa kakatawad sa mga tindero. kaya magbabalut muna siya. sarap! :cheers: bakit kaya mas mura ang penoy? :bash: :weirdo:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pc1466dab9c2fa48d1aaaa0b8bd176815/f89d75e3.jpg

isa tong kuha sa trip trip na biyahe papuntang monumento sa isang nakakabored at maulang gabi nung dormer pa ako. nag-usap kami ng love life nung driver sa harapan tapos ang saya kaya lang gumarahe na siya sa blumentritt. :bash: namangha ako sa night market dun kaya lang di ko na kinaya puntahan dahil nabaha na sa area. :weirdo:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pe6983782454aa943e0508bb7e5442d5f/f8a48ca0.jpg

sino nagsabing laos na snail mail? marami pa rin ang napunta dine para magpadala ng liham! nagkataon lang na tanghaling tapat ito kinunan. at favorable naman sa akin yun kasi wala masyadong tao sa retrato. :weirdo: :cheers:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pde1381955cf77fd502964eb43828f3cc/f8a4a46d.jpg

:weirdo: hindi naman halata di ba? oo na kulang na sa pokus. sorry instamatic lang. :bash:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pe6983782454aa943e0508bb7e5442d5f/f8a48ca0.jpg

sino nagsabing laos na snail mail? marami pa rin ang napunta dine para magpadala ng liham! nagkataon lang na tanghaling tapat ito kinunan. at favorable naman sa akin yun kasi wala masyadong tao sa retrato. :weirdo: :cheers:

Pininturahan nila muli ang statua ng mailman sa harap ng Post Office. Diba dati may suot siyang damit?

kuya mike meron yan. tanghali lang siguro kaya di masyadong makulay lumabas. saka mga 2002 or 2003 ko pa yan nakuha.

maganda ang mga larawan at nakakatuwa rin ang mga pasakalye mo Anthony. :okay:

^^ oo nga no, naalala ko pa non umabot cia ng 7.50(penoy), baka may oversupply :)

@weirdo, salamat ng marami. naaliw at nagandahan talaga ako sa mga kamangha-manghang litrato na kinunan mo. astig ka talaga. :D

nakabili ako nung isang gabi.. aba.. 12.00 na ang balot ngayon huh!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pd1afabf559bfc26216056682f842dba1/f893e170.jpg

pagod na ang shoppers sa kaka hunting ng items na hinahanap at sa kakatawad sa mga tindero. kaya magbabalut muna siya. sarap! :cheers: bakit kaya mas mura ang penoy? :bash: :weirdo:

wow grabe naman yan! 12 pesos for balut!!! i remember back in the days, a balut was 2 pesos...man the days have changed!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/pd1afabf559bfc26216056682f842dba1/f893e170.jpg

pagod na ang shoppers sa kaka hunting ng items na hinahanap at sa kakatawad sa mga tindero. kaya magbabalut muna siya. sarap! :cheers: bakit kaya mas mura ang penoy? :bash: :weirdo:


mas mura ang penoy kasi mga defect na balot lang sila..... sila yung mga balot na di nabuo ang sisiw... mga bugok (o basag yung yolk) na balot kasi sila... so instead of itapon lang sila.. masmura silang binebenta sa mga kumakain ng penoy...:D

bugok po yata yung sinasabi mo pau.. iba yung penoy.. ang original na penoy eh halos puro yolk.. tapos masabaw.. hindi mabaho.. at walang sisiw..

Mas gusto ko penoy. Hindi ko kaya ang balut or bugok. Sa balut, yung yolk lang puede ko kainin. Pero kung P12.00, di bale na lang.

^sabi ng mama ko pang palakas daw yung sisiw sa tuhod just dont look at the fetus while youre eating it. youll get used to it ;)

oh.. yung penoy kasi mga nabugok na itlog yun kunsaan nasira na yung yolk, kaya puro yolk lang yung laman nya at hindi na nabuo yung sisiw.. nabugok lang yung itlog hindi nabulok... :D

so defect na balot sya pero edible pa rin

yeah, i think penoy is the yolk one, and I don't think it has sabaw or does it. But masarap ang sabaw nang balut, pati yung yolk nya. Hindi ko talaga kinakain yung sisiw, dahil nan didiri ako sa kanya....hopefully i made sense...dapat at mag tagalog ako, para ma sanay uli.

oh.. yung penoy kasi mga nabugok na itlog yun kunsaan nasira na yung yolk, kaya puro yolk lang yung laman nya at hindi na nabuo yung sisiw.. nabugok lang yung itlog hindi nabulok... :D

so defect na balot sya pero edible pa rin

are you serious, ka b-day. that shit is gross. good thing u told me, i wont eat that shit no more

yeah, i think penoy is the yolk one, and I don't think it has sabaw or does it. But masarap ang sabaw nang balut, pati yung yolk nya. Hindi ko talaga kinakain yung sisiw, dahil nan didiri ako sa kanya....hopefully i made sense...dapat at mag tagalog ako, para ma sanay uli.

ye, you dont sound so convincing to me when youre using your tagalog

hahahah.... kaya nga masmalinis pa ang balut kesa sa penoy... at kaya rin mas mura ang penoy...:D

Just came back from my hometown of Dumaguete. Here are some pics I've taken from my journey back here.

Dumaguete Shoreline

http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Negor.jpg

Islands on the route to Manila

http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Island2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Batangas.jpg

...and a cargo ship

http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Cargo.jpg

Manila port

http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Port.jpg

Manila Bay pics

http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Moa2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Bay.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Bay2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Bay3.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Bay4.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Bay5.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Golden.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/Comin2Manila/Sunsetview.jpg


Im currently working now in Makati and I will post my pics in appropriate forums. :cheers:

^mas maganda istorya nito kaysa penoy :D

Mas gusto ko penoy. Hindi ko kaya ang balut or bugok. Sa balut, yung yolk lang puede ko kainin. Pero kung P12.00, di bale na lang.

c lili mas prefer pa pala ang bugok na itlog

@ weirdo: i like your photo-essay. dramatic. naiyak-iyak nga ako. lol.

weirdo and rmb: beautiful pics! keep them coming! :)

ye, you dont sound so convincing to me when youre using your tagalog


bakit naman? Hindi ba talaga? I guess not... :(

where's Davis btw

^^ I'm guessing it's in California, there's a UC Davis campus that I've heard about. :colgate:

Davis is halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento.. Closer to Sacramento.

kulit ni weirdo!:lol: nice pics, btw saka 'yung mga storyahan...parang sa 'the adventures of maverick and ariel'...kwela! :haha:

@rmb: welcome back sa manila! and thanks for the pics:)

@rmb, great pics. thank you. keep them coming. :okay:

salamat sa comments and info dun sa difference ng balut sa penoy.

ayus ang pics rmb. welcome back!

1322
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/rich_168us/IMGP1269.jpg

BSP
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/rich_168us/IMGP1259.jpg

Hyatt Hotel and Casino
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/rich_168us/IMGP1271.jpg

1322
BSP
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/rich_168us/IMGP1259.jpg


I see there is a trolley(?) there. Where can I get this ride?

I see there is a trolley(?) there. Where can I get this ride?

i don't really know. hehe but i often see these kinds of vehicles along baywalk

This is when I wish we had a working search function. I remember that somebody posted an article about these "tranvias" in one of the Manila My Manila or tourism threads.

I see there is a trolley(?) there. Where can I get this ride?i think this operates just like an ordinary bus, lili...you can get on and off at any point within the baywalk/roxas blvd (manila) stretch:)

^ how much is the fare?

sana ibalik yung double deckers sa Luneta..

here's a pano that I took when I was in the promenade area of SM MoA... this covers the Manila seafront and Makati skyline...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/ManilaBaypanocopy.jpg

wow! ang galing mo paul. andami palang interesting structures pag nandiyan ka. pwedeng tourist destination. the breakwater also looks clean.

i think this operates just like an ordinary bus, lili...you can get on and off at any point within the baywalk/roxas blvd (manila) stretch:)

20 pesos per ride yan..

here's a pano that I took when I was in the promenade area of SM MoA... this covers the Manila seafront and Makati skyline...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/ManilaBaypanocopy.jpg
:eek2: ish dat in da pilipens?

superb pano paul!:eek: galing!!! the waters look so pristine! ang ganda pala talaga ng view dyan!! it really is breathtaking!!! good job!:okay: and thanks a lot!

@mbassyambassador: thanks for the info:)

Haven't been to that part of Esplanade desspite being there many times before.
It's quite a long walk from the other end kasi eh, 2km po yun FYI.

Thank you Dudz for taking me there through pictures. :okay:

it's paul's photo, aaron:D haven't been there, too!

here's a pano that I took when I was in the promenade area of SM MoA... this covers the Manila seafront and Makati skyline...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/ManilaBaypanocopy.jpg

Wow!!! Spectacular panorama that should be serve as an important tool for researchers way out in the future...you've given us and all surfers in cyberland a remarkable way to see the Philippines' best-known metropolis at a glance. Kudos and pagsasalamat!

kelangan palang i-scroll... di ko napansin kanina. keep them coming paul...

Great shot, Pau! I shouldnt have made a pano when i was standing in the same spot a few months ago:D

Thats beautiful...the water seems clean. I like how the roxas blvd buildings reflect off it.

wow great pic pau_p1

i think this operates just like an ordinary bus, lili...you can get on and off at any point within the baywalk/roxas blvd (manila) stretch:)

Thanks for the info, @dudz.

Also nice shots @richpol. That Hotely Hyatt casino semi-round glass windows seem like a tribute to the Jai Alai structure. (I don't know, it just reminded me of that.)

Really awesome pano @PaulP1. !

know what i don't understand? instead of building the 17th mall in the metro area, why doesn't anyone invest in something like a huge arena/colloseum? something that the rest of the international community can recognize and use? i think that's probably what separates manila from real "world cities" - the lack of certain simple "amenities that is standard for even normal cities here in the states. sayang. just my two sentimos...

p.s. sorry to sound bias but i just don't really enjoy malls. but i guess for a place that didn't really have it until recently, sabik pa. i guess the novelty will ware off.

*wear

here's a pano that I took when I was in the promenade area of SM MoA... this covers the Manila seafront and Makati skyline...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/ManilaBaypanocopy.jpg

I like the greens and the reflections :)

when was the senate building built? Its actually a great looking building...lots of power. And it has some greenary on its balconies (not shown in pic). Its location is also very good, other important govt buildings should be located by the bay too.

What Manila should do further:

1. coordinate with other Metro Manila cities to make sure there are connected MRT, LRT and train lines from Manila to Port area (to encourage people to take more passenger boats and ships and land there), NAIA or macapagal airport in pampanga. This is a must for ALL worldclass cities like New York, Tokyo, London, Sydney and Paris.

2. Make sure there is a check in counter in the city so people can travel light going to the airport.

3. Construct a landmark that will make it a symbol of Manila: for example--Paris has Eiffel Tower, New York had world trade center and still has times square & empire state building, Chicago has sears tower, KL has petronas, and sydney has the opera house. But the landmark should be both aesthetic AND functional. and please, wala sanang corruption sa bidding. alam nyo naman ang mga government projects halos lahat may lagayan. tapos substandard pa ang materials.

4. coordinate with the private sector to have a program to SAVE old or historically/culturally important buildings. the ones in binondo, quiapo, sampaloc, santa cruz, tondo, even ermita and malate in the long run. These structures will give Manila the character it needs. it also provides younger generations a chance to link with the past.

5. I still couldnt understand the to-do about the renaming of streets. I prefer the old names: Azcarraga, Fuente de Espana, Economia, Lepanto, Avenida Rizal, Misericordia, etc. While there is a need to recognize significant filipinos, we must name these luminaries after newer structures or landscapes. i love claro m recto's mind but i prefer azcarraga. the latter has more depth. a plaza can be named after recto instead.

6. Repackage and revive the use of light boats or ferries as alternative to road travel. It worked for Brisbane, it should work for Manila.

Sayang. we lost Insular Ice Plant, Jai Alai, etc. How much more shall we stand to lose next time?

when was the senate building built? Its actually a great looking building...lots of power. And it has some greenary on its balconies (not shown in pic). Its location is also very good, other important govt buildings should be located by the bay too.

I don't know when it was built, but it wasn't supposed to be the Senate Building. In fact, it's not the Senate Building. It's the GSIS Building. (what does that mean? something like governmet social insurance system?) The Senate is just leasing space from the GSIS.

The Senate was really meant to be housed in the Batasan Complex in QC but for some strange reason, they do not want to be in what is officially the Government Center.

know what i don't understand? instead of building the 17th mall in the metro area, why doesn't anyone invest in something like a huge arena/colloseum? something that the rest of the international community can recognize and use? i think that's probably what separates manila from real "world cities" - the lack of certain simple "amenities that is standard for even normal cities here in the states. sayang. just my two sentimos...

p.s. sorry to sound bias but i just don't really enjoy malls. but i guess for a place that didn't really have it until recently, sabik pa. i guess the novelty will ware off.

Filipinos have so much love for shopping that I don't think interest in malls will ever wear-off.

The worsening traffic in the metro makes it even more lucrative for mall developers to build even more malls but in a smaller scale like community-malls, strip malls and commercial centers.
Some examples are the SM Supercenter Valenzuela and SM Supercenter Molino and some stand-alone Hypermarkets like the one being built in Frontera Verde and Vito Cruz.

thanks guys for appreciating my pano... :D

know what i don't understand? instead of building the 17th mall in the metro area, why doesn't anyone invest in something like a huge arena/colloseum? something that the rest of the international community can recognize and use? i think that's probably what separates manila from real "world cities" - the lack of certain simple "amenities that is standard for even normal cities here in the states. sayang. just my two sentimos...

p.s. sorry to sound bias but i just don't really enjoy malls. but i guess for a place that didn't really have it until recently, sabik pa. i guess the novelty will ware off.

1. Do you think filipino will go to arena/coliseum everyday just to watch something other than basketball?

2. Are you familliar with the Centennial Arena in Pampangga? It is very big but is it useful? yes. Is it profitable? no.

3. Since we are not a big fan of footbal except in central visayas, I think we just need just one very big Stadium for hosting events such as Asian Games or SEA Games.

4. The filipinos appreciate malls very much.

...and not only appreciate, most of us are also secretly mall-freaks.
That's why mall-openings are always jam-packed even if there's not much publicity about the dates of opening.

yup.. that's true.. i remembered when Centerpoint opened.. cutting class kami.. tapos talagang tulakan papasok.. tapos nung nasa loob na.. wala lang :bash:

...and not only appreciate, most of us are also secretly mall-freaks.
That's why mall-openings are always jam-packed even if there's not much publicity about the dates of opening.

Malls are nothing new to Metro Manila. Harrison Plaza, Ali Mall, and Glorietta all started going up in the 70s pa. It's not a recent development, there's no such thing as a "novelty factor" at all in operation here, just the demand brought about by consumer spending.

Unfortunately Filipinos (in Manila at least) are not fans of either forms of football, which require those huge arenas.

GSIS building was finished in 1997, during the Ramos-era construction boom.

I agree with retaining old, historical names for streets, EXCEPT for Azcarraga. The Azcarraga brothers turned out to be traitors. So keeping the name would be like having a street in Washington DC named "Benedict Arnold Ave." I think this was why the new name of Recto was so quickly adopted.

"Avenida Rizal" or Rizal Ave. is actually the new name of what just used to be "Avenida". Not taking anything away from Rizal, but I do think he's got enough streets and places named after him already.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y261/michaelsinjin/manila/14welcome.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y261/michaelsinjin/manila/manila2.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y261/michaelsinjin/manila/manilamap.jpg

Multiple temporalities...


At the very mouth of the river was the island called Maynila. As a town, it was just becoming well-known. In fact, it may have been founded only a couple of generations earlier. In the 1520s it was unknown in the Visayas (or Magellan would have been told about it) but by the 1560s the Visayans had already heard of the Kingdom of Maynila.

On its throne sat a young king: Rajah Soliman, who was Muslim and Bornean. His wife was Bornean too and so were his palace guards. Soliman was a warrior. The petty kingdoms along the river and on the lake lived in mortal terror of him. They cried that he was forever swooping down on them, to raid and plunder.

....

On May 19, 1571, Governor Miguel Lopez de Legazpi occupied Manila in the name of the king of Spain.

....

And on June 24, 1571, a municipal government was established in Manila.

....

The king of Spain would honor the new city with another title: Insigne y Siempre Loyal, or Famous and Ever Faithful. More familiar is the title of Noble y Siempre Leal--or Noble and Ever Loyal--that Manila still wears in oratory and nostalgia.

....

Like Troy, which was sevenfold, Manila has been many cities and will be many more. Like every great city, Manila sprang from a wilderness of question marks. Legazpi was not the beginning, nor yet Soliman.

The city was, is, and will be larger than these terms, even if reduced back to the original space of ground from which it began, from which it will always begin. Should atomic war annihilate Manila, the survivors, if any, will, one can bet, automatically start rebuilding on that same tongue of land where the River flows into the Bay. Both Soliman and Legazpi built there and they could only have been following in the footprints of those who, through he ages, like the makers of the Seven Troys, had been building and rebuilding on that original site.

There, apparently, is where the genius of the city is resident-- and Intramuros is once and future womb.

When we celebrate ... Manila, therefore, we can celebrate, not a date or founding, but a site, a scene, a location, a motherground. It has known too many dates and foundations. Races and empires and religions have washed over it; the warlike have used thunder to claim it and the city, smiling, has allowed them their foolish moment. Age after age, its lovers have hailed its rebirth or bewailed its perishing, while outside continued the traffic for strange webs with Eastern merchants.

And all this has been but as the sound of lyres and flutes.

This thread is already full.
Unofficially Closed by me. :D
:lock: LOCK :lock: LOCK :lock: LOCK :lock:


Continue Discussions over here... CLICK LINK BELOW
Manila, My Manila: Tradition and Modernity V (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=284512)

Thank You to all the Contributors of this thread!

:dance:

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

Manila City - Cosmopolitan Capital Of The Philippines
Description
Fascination is an understatement of the feeling that one gets by visiting Manila, a lively metropolis commanding a magnificent view of the world-famous Manila Bay and its golden sunset. Historic, bustling, awe-inspiring, the “Philippine Cosmopolitan Capital” is a blend of cultures and flavors that offers an endless serving of places to see, sights to behold, and experiences to never forget.

Right in the heart of Manila is found the “Walled City” – Intramuros. Constructed in 1571, during the period of Spain’s colonization of the Philippines, it comprised of European buildings and churches that have been replicated in different parts of the archipelago. It had been one of the world’s best preserved medieval cities. Here, dungeons and old churches share space with art galleries, theaters, a nature park.

At the center of Intramuros is the grand Manila Cathedral, the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Manila. Then there is San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in Metro Manila and one of the four Philippine Baroque Churches inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Marking its entrance at the northwestern tip is Fort Santiago, one of the oldest fortifications of Intramuros. Built in nearly 150 years through Filipino forced labor, it now houses a lush park with flowering trees, homing pigeons, and rides aboard horse-drawn carriages.

Manila is home to Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the highest chief executive of the country and one of the most historic structures in the Philippines, and the National Museum of the Philippines, the official repository and guardian of the Philippine cultural, historical, and natural heritage. Along the northern bank of the historic Pasig river is Chinatown, a symbol of the long history of Chinese presence in the Philippines long antedating the arrival of the Spaniards. Today it is an important trade and business center, and a primary bargain shopping destination.

Five-star hotels and restaurants, some of them housed in historic buildings, make the perfect party place in the city. The nightlife offers everything from dazzling cultural shows to futuristic discotheques, lively casinos, sensational entertainment lounges, and fashionable cafes. The popular districts of Malate and Ermita showcase a wild variety of restaurants, clubs, bars, cafes, art and antique shops – truly, the ultimate cosmopolitan paradise.

Manila is geographically advantaged. It is an hour or two away from full-day excursions to Cavite and Corregidor Island, Batangas, and Laguna, replete with exceptionally beautiful beaches, stunning views, and local color. The city is over 17 hours away by air from Los Angeles, less than five hours from Tokyo, and seven and a half hours from Sydney. Wherever you are, you are less than a day away from one of Asia’s greatest cities – Manila.

Geography
The city of Manila is located on the west coast of the Philippine main island of Luzon and surrounded by fertile plains. The city straddles at the delta of the Pasig river, a short navigable stream that connects the fresh water lake of Laguna de Bay with Manila Bay and the South China Sea. It occupies a total land area of 38.3 square kilometers.

Population
The total population was 1,654,761 as of the 1995 census.

Political Subdivision
The city is composed of 897 Barangays, which are subdivided into six Congressional Districts. It has been classified as a Highly Urbanized City.

The Manila Bay
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/scnic_manilabay.jpg

http://suayan.com/kyo/webslides/images/manila-bay.jpg

http://www.philtourism.com/bigimages/ci_Manila-Bay-Sunset.jpg

http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/manilasunset.jpg

The Rizal Park
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Rizal-Park.jpg

http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Rizal-Park-Manila.jpg

The Roxas Boulevard
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/scnic_manila.jpg



The ChinaTown
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/binondomanila.jpg

The Cultural Center of the Philippines
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Cultural-Center-of-the-Phil.jpg

The Department of Tourism Headquarters
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Dot-Bldg-Manila.jpg

Feast of the Black Nazarene
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Feast-of-Black-Nazareno.jpg

Fort Santiago
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Fort-Santiago.jpg

http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/hstrcal_fortsantiago.jpg

Historical Intramuros
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/hstrcal_intramuros.jpg

http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Intramuros-Manila.jpg

The Mabini Shrine
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Mabini-Shrine.jpg

The Manila Cathedral
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/images/Explore/Gallery/Big/MANILA_CITY/Manila-Cathedral-Manila.jpg


Manila is famous for...
Walking Tour through Intramuros
Right in the heart of Manila is found the "Walled City" - Intramuros. Constructed in 1571, during the period of Spain's colonization of the Philippines, it comprised of European buildings and churches that have been replicated in different parts of the archipelago. Although the Pacific War of the 1940s took its tool on Intramuros, it had been one of the world's best preserved medieval cities. The site is a timeless journey through forts and dungeons, old churches, colonial houses, and horse-drawn carriages.

San Agustin Church
One of the four Philippine Baroque Churches inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List, the oldest stone church in Metro Manila was built in 1586 and completed in 1606. An intricately carved door opens to the church. Of great interest are the XIXth century chandeliers, the pulpit, the side chapels, the tombstone on the floorings, and an 18th century pipe organ. Like an impregnable fortress, San Agustin has withstood the ravages of time both brought by nature and by man; earthquakes and typhoons, Chinese and Dutch attacks, the British Occupation Force and the Philippine-Spanish War, Dewey's bombardment, the bloody and destructive Japanese Occupation, and the equally devastating return of MacArthur's troops.

Manila Cathedral
At the center of the "Walled City" of Intramuros is the grand Manila Cathedral. The seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, the present cathedral is the sixth to rise on the site since 1581.


Fort Santiago
Marking its entrance at the northwestern tip to Intramuros, Fort Santiago is one of the oldest fortifications of Intramuros. Its construction started in 1571 and it was completed nearly 150 years later by Filipino forced labor. The pre-Spanish settlement of Rajah Sulayman, the last Filipino ruler before the coming of the Spaniards, was a wooden fort, on the ashes of which was built the Spanish fortress which was Spain's major defense position in the islands. It looked out on the sea, towards which its canons were trained to ward off pirates and invaders. It is also known as the "Shrine of Freedom," in memory of the heroic Filipinos imprisoned and killed here during the Spanish and Japanese eras. Partly rebuilt from the ruins of World War II, it is now a park and promenade housing a resident theater company, PETA, which used ramparts, an old garrison, and a small chapel as theaters for both traditional and modern plays.

Plaza San Luis
Named after one of the barrios of old Intramuros, this is a cultural-cum-commercial complex currently composed of five houses: Casa Manila, Casa Blanca, Casa Urdaneta, Los Hidalgos, and El Hogar Filipino. Plaza San Luis will eventually consist of 9 houses representing different eras in Filipino-Hispanic architecture. Aside from gift and specialty shops, the complex has a museum at Casa Manila, containing late 19th century and early 20th century furniture found in a typical Filipino illustrado, or the privileged class, home.

Rizal Park
Considered as one of the largest parks in Southeast Asia, it has an area of 58 hectares which runs from Taft Avenue up to the walls of the famous Manila Bay. It was known as the Bagumbayan field during the Spanish era since this was where the Filipino-Moslems took refuge after the Spaniards occupied Intramuros in 1571. It was also called "Luneta," which means Little Moon. For 74 years, it was used as an executing ground by the Spaniards for Filipino rebels and mutineers. By 1902, Daniel Bumham, architect and city planner, chose Bagumbayan as the site of the proposed American government center. He designed a U-shaped composition of buildings, but only three were constructed: the Executive House, the Department of Tourism building, and the Department of Finance building. It acquired its present name Rizal National Park in dedication to the Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, whose mortal remains were interred in the cornershore of the Rizal Monument in 1912.

Malacañang Palace / Museum
Malacañang Palace is considered to be one of the most historic structures in the Philippines. It has been the official residence of the highest chief executive of the country since 1863. Located next to the Pasig River, it served as a summer residence for the Spanish governor-general during the early 1800s. Governor-General Rafael de Echague moved the seat of government to Malacañang Palace after an earthquake devastated the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros. Since then, it has been witness to the numerous challenges that have faced the nation and the events that have defined our history. President Glorial Macapagal Arroyo holds office in the Palace and receives her official callers and state visitors at the Presidential Function area. A wing of the Palace is open to the public as a Philippine Presidential Museum. Under the management of the Malacañang Heritage Foundation, the palace tour focuses on all former Presidents of the Philipines. On exhibit are presidential memorabilia which highlight the terms of office of the country’s former chief executives. It is one of the most visited historical landmarks in the country today.

Malate & Ermita
The popular cosmopolitan lifestyle districts of Malate and Ermita in Manila showcase a wild variety of restaurants, clubs, bars, cafes, art and antique shops, and shopping complexes. The nightlife offers everything from partyhopping, clubbing, lounging to theme festivals and parades, or quietly chilling at art and fashion cafes - discover your own hole-in-the-wall. Organizing exciting shopping expeditions could not be simpler - as countless bargain opportunities are offered, including the handicrafts of the different regions, in the numerous shopping complexes, from sleek, air-conditioned department stores to open-air bazaars.

MABUHAY!
:dance:

Before going on, maybe you should check out the predecessors of this thread first. :okay:
Manila, My Manila: Tradition and Modernity I (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=96172)
Manila, My Manila: Tradition and Modernity II (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=202712)
Manila, My Manila: Tradition and Modernity III (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=200726)
Manila, My Manila: Tradition and Modernity IV (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=284905)

New thread. Ang saya naman.

Thanks for all the unofficial closings. I usually don't notice the 500+ posts. :D

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Skyscrapers/clubintramuros.jpg

I played golf yesterday at Club Intramuros and was pleasantly surprised to know that the Philippine Tourism Authority had renovated the Locker Rooms. Maganda na ngayon ang locker rooms nila. For anyone who's a buff for culture as much as a buff for golf, Club Intramuros will be a favorite playground. One can visit the dungeons while walking the course.

Sorry, I didn't have time to take my own pics as I was concentrating on the strokes :)http://skyscrapercity.com/image.php?u=17705&dateline=1109730121

ang pangit naman ng intro sinjin, madami kang nde pinakitang maganda, pero okay na rin. anong magagawa nga natin kung may madaming slum. :D

We should also point out that the the introduction to this thread was an excerpt from a work by one of Manila's most famous sons. It came from the introduction to Manila, My Manila by Nick Joaquin.

Those are really varied pictures you chose (some like the flood scenes and the "typical Manila street" are not in Manila), but nevertheless, you can't really love Manila without accepting and appreciating the many contradictions within it.

Some of your pics are in Makati, not Manila (like typical street).;)

sinjin is the king of unofficially closing and opening threads:D

that typical street isn't even typical :D more like untypical. you need the cars parked in sidewalks, and more pedestrians.

^^and less skyscrapers:D

ang pangit naman ng intro sinjin, madami kang nde pinakitang maganda, pero okay na rin. anong magagawa nga natin kung may madaming slum. :D

Pretty soon all these sequel threads will have sinjin as originator. He's been very diligent. :)

^ I agree. I think several bay shots is enough to start the thread. No need to post many pics, especially ones that have been posted before (same goes for Cebu threads;))

Somehow, I agree. The pictures are ugly. Could it be that @sinjin is biased because he is from Cebu City?

Watch out. Pretty soon all these sequel threads will have sinjin as originator so please depict us well.

i think thats what he's trying to do, i dont get why he had to post the flood picture. not once but twice :lol:i barely see any kubo in manila either must be along the baywalk :dunno:. the growing city part really needs to be edited or "dont show at all"

If our typical slum is like that, then I must say we have some great slums... our slum residents wear nice-looking jeans, new shoes and clean clothes.

---
Hmmm. Maybe I just should have made the title, "Maynila, Mahal Kong Maynila: Tradisyon at Modernidad Thread V". Maybe next time. :D
No, there is a reason why it's called Manila, My Manila: Tradition and Modernity. Besides Tradisyon and Modernidad are not Tagalog.

^^ And one of those reasons is its Boybaha's original name for this thread series:D I think its great.

manila is where i experience "baha"... hehehe...

Bakit hindi ba bumabaha sa Pampangga?

No, there is a reason why it's called Manila, My Manila: Tradition and Modernity. Besides Tradisyon and Modernidad are not Tagalog.

Yes, as earlier pointed out "Manila, My Manila" is based on the paean given by Nick Joaquin to his beloved city. Hence, the title as originally created by Boybaha.

Bakit hindi ba bumabaha sa Pampangga?

bumabaha poh... pero sa manila lng talaga ako napilitang lumusong sa baha at as in sobrang taas hanggang baywang... sa village kase namin sa pamp. hindi man lng umaabot sa tuhod ang tubig

Ah ganon nga. At least part of the Manila survival story. Lahat dapat lumusong sa baha at some point.

Somehow, I agree. The pictures are ugly. Could it be that @sinjin is biased because he is from Cebu City?

Watch out. Pretty soon all these sequel threads will have sinjin as originator so please depict us well.


First of all, I'm not biased for Cebu since Manila will be my future home in 2 years. Secondly, sorry for the pictures.

If someone noticed how I started this thread, he would understand. I hurriedly created this thread at 7:55pm since I saw the Manila IV Thread @ 501 posts. I hadn't any pictures then so I searched for some. I just had the "Multiple Temporalities" Article. Read post #1 and below it says, last edited 9:54pm. That's when I added those 3 pics. Then the next post (post #2) was made @ 9:50pm. Then the next post was made at 10:05pm. I was already about to reedit the posts since I found beautiful Roxas Blvd. pictures but, sorry nag-BROWNOUT po and it wasn't uploaded in my Photobucket no more!

ang pangit naman ng intro sinjin, madami kang nde pinakitang maganda, pero okay na rin. anong magagawa nga natin kung may madaming slum.

Pangit na kung pangit. At least, I know that I've put efforts in creating this thread and nahadlangan lang ng isang p**ang brownout. Thank You! :)

@Lili: If I was biased, I should haven't put much time into creating the Makati Thread 6 and Ortigas Thread III. ;) Anyway, forget that. Back to Manila talk.

Well, I do commend you for the effort you put in starting the new thread @sinjin. Sorry, we are not so keen as to follow the timeline on when you created the thread and when you added the pictures. I understand that we need not whitewash Metro Manila and present it as it is but for an opening thread, we would appreciate better depictions because this is the first visual impression that is presented to the public. Other less positive pictures may be posted later but not as an opening salvo to Manila. And pardon me for imputing bias on you. Maybe the bias was with me since I do love Manila and am sensitive about these things. Look at it as feedback mechanism for this important role that you have assumed in monitoring the progress of the threads and providing clean, well-outlined sequel threads. Rest assured that I am really appreciative of all your effort and research in doing the follow-up threads.

@Lili: Thanks! :)
And BTW, I have already edited post #2. The pictures are all entirely different. Good night!

wow! fifth thread na! tamang-tama we have some new pics!

sea games opening ceremony venue
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/sea%20games/a9bf547d.jpg

rizal park
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/5f90a670.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/79d7610e.jpg

decors
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/2b562d56.jpg

city hall christmas tree
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/b719c60f.jpg

wow! fifth thread na! tamang-tama we have some new pics!


rizal park
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/5f90a670.jpg



city hall christmas tree
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/b719c60f.jpg


Wow! ganda ng mga pics! I can feel the Christmas spirit in them. Both of these are my favorites. Something with time passing by quickly in those pictures amuses me :okay:

wow! fifth thread na! tamang-tama we have some new pics!

sea games opening ceremony venue
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/sea%20games/a9bf547d.jpg


dudz, manood ka ng opening ceremonies? iappoint kitang official photographer ng sea games. :)

wow! fifth thread na! tamang-tama we have some new pics!

sea games opening ceremony venue
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/sea%20games/a9bf547d.jpg

rizal park
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/5f90a670.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/79d7610e.jpg

decors
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/2b562d56.jpg

city hall christmas tree
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/b719c60f.jpg

Paskong-pasko na nga! @Dudz: Thanks for posting the pics.
And about the SEAGames, will you watch the opening ceremonies? Don't fail to take pictures ha? Thanks! :D

i was wondering buti walang nagnanakaw nung mga x-mas decoration along the highway. knowing some pnoi will, u know

@sinjin: way better on the pics :okay:

salamat sista, dave and sinjin. walang anuman din:)

isang malaking karangalan ang ma-appoint na official photographer ng sea games, ginoong dave:D pagbubutihin ko po!:colgate:

kung manonood ako ng opening? naku! di ko pa sigurado, 50/50. pero kung mapunta man ako, siempre will take tons of photos:hehe:

@sista: time really passes by so quickly...mag-iipon na naman ako ng mga bagong malulutong na bills!:haha:

@tigidig14: well, wala pa naman akong nabalitaan na ninakaw ang mga decors kahit sa mga hiways. iba talaga pag pasko:)

salamat sista, dave and sinjin. walang anuman din:)

isang malaking karangalan ang ma-appoint na official photographer ng sea games, ginoong dave:D pagbubutihin ko po!:colgate:

kung manonood ako ng opening? naku! di ko pa sigurado, 50/50. pero kung mapunta man ako, siempre will take tons of photos:hehe:

@sista: time really passes by so quickly...mag-iipon na naman ako ng mga bagong malulutong na bills!:haha:



pashare naman ng malulutong na bills kuya :D lol

Wow thanks for the pics. It's amazing how they save everything for the last moment and come out with such a great stage. A few days ago pictures of the setting up were put up and I was beginning to think that they were going to put up such a rickety, cheap looking performance. But that looks pretty impressive!

salamat sista, dave and sinjin. walang anuman din:)

isang malaking karangalan ang ma-appoint na official photographer ng sea games, ginoong dave:D pagbubutihin ko po!:colgate:

kung manonood ako ng opening? naku! di ko pa sigurado, 50/50. pero kung mapunta man ako, siempre will take tons of photos:hehe:

@sista: time really passes by so quickly...mag-iipon na naman ako ng mga bagong malulutong na bills!:haha:

@tigidig14: well, wala pa naman akong nabalitaan na ninakaw ang mga decors kahit sa mga hiways. iba talaga pag pasko:)

Ako din ninong Dudz, don't forget my aguinaldo for Christmas, gusto ko din yung malutong ha, as in yung bagong withdraw lang. :D

@Lili: Thanks! :)
And BTW, I have already edited post #2. The pictures are all entirely different. Good night!

That's a great intro @sinjin (Michael) and the pictures you've chosen are superb. We can still post the 'baha' pictures to depict the other side.

And @Dudz, thanks for capturing the SEA games opening and the festive air in Manila

First of all, I'm not biased for Cebu since Manila will be my future home in 2 years. Secondly, sorry for the pictures.

If someone noticed how I started this thread, he would understand. I hurriedly created this thread at 7:55pm since I saw the Manila IV Thread @ 501 posts. I hadn't any pictures then so I searched for some. I just had the "Multiple Temporalities" Article. Read post #1 and below it says, last edited 9:54pm. That's when I added those 3 pics. Then the next post (post #2) was made @ 9:50pm. Then the next post was made at 10:05pm. I was already about to reedit the posts since I found beautiful Roxas Blvd. pictures but, sorry nag-BROWNOUT po and it wasn't uploaded in my Photobucket no more!



Pangit na kung pangit. At least, I know that I've put efforts in creating this thread and nahadlangan lang ng isang p**ang brownout. Thank You! :)


THanks for editing your post:) Its much better now. but you dont need to hurry into making a new thread. There are other people that can start the thread too, you know;)

ayus ka talaga master dudz. galing!

ok un ah. master dudz, the official photographer of 2005 SEA Games. :D

wow.. galing galing!!!

ok ung set up, parang my concert... hehe...

just wanna share this article...

------
Grand Dame ready for another facelift
First posted 04:39am (Mla time) Nov 22, 2005
By Jerome Aning
Inquirer News Service

(First of two parts)

AFTER almost a decade of neglect and disuse, the Metropolitan Theater
-- fondly called the Met -- will be restored to its former glory.

Three government agencies finally got their act together and will be
working to restore the "grand dame" of Manila's theaters, which is
located at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the City of Manila had
set aside their differences and signed a work and action plan last
June.

In response, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the release of
P50 million to partially fund the restoration of the Met.

A private consultancy firm was commissioned to conduct a detailed
engineering study (DES) of the theater, which began last week. In five
months, the firm will submit its report detailing the condition of the
Met's structure and how it could be restored.

It took no less than Ms Arroyo herself to end the feud among the NCCA,
GSIS and City Hall. On Jan. 7, 2004, she witnessed the signing of a
tripartite agreement among Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, GSIS president
Winston Garcia and Tourism Undersecretary Evelyn Pantig, NCCA chair.

The agreement was an offshoot of the President's speech at the 2002
Cultural and Arts Conference, where she spoke of the need to make
culture "folksy," stressing that one of her administration's
priorities was to provide an accessible culture and arts venue for the
masses.

"We must make culture available … [and] attractive to the masses," Ms
Arroyo said.

"I don't think the Cultural Center of the Philippines will serve this
purpose because it is imposing, unapproachable and elitist," she said.
"The one that the poor will find approachable physically and
psychologically is the Met and I feel we should revive it."

Curiously, the Arroyo administration's goal of pro-poor and
people-oriented programs for the soon-to-be restored Met were the same
as former first lady and Metro Manila governor Imelda Marcos' when she
pushed for the Met's 1978 renovation.

"This theater is dedicated to a singular goal: To surface the true,
the good and the beautiful in the Filipino in Metropolitan Manila,"
Marcos said in her message for the 1978 reopening.

NCCA supervision

Under the 2004 tripartite agreement, the NCCA, GSIS and City Hall
would put together their resources to spearhead the restoration of the
Met to its former grandeur befitting the country's center of the arts
and culture for the masses.

The GSIS, as owner of the 7.6-hectare lot where the Met stands, turned
over to City Hall the property, except for the commercial spaces.
Under the agreement, the GSIS recognized the fact that as a social
security institution, it could not operate, maintain and preserve the
Met.

For its part, the City Hall of Manila committed to spearhead the
enhancement and improvement not only of the Met's physical structure,
but also its cultural and historical significance. It would also
construct or improve the Met's music halls, actor's studio, conference
and lecture rooms, library, museum, multipurpose hall or ballroom,
toilets rooms and parking areas.

However, City Hall was tasked to conduct the restoration of the Met in
accordance with the internationally accepted standards of conservation
that the NCCA shall provide.

Restoring the theater

How the Met's restoration should proceed and how long it would take
depends on the cooperation of the three agencies.

Rose Beatrix Angeles, NCCA commissioner in charge of national heritage
sites, said the commission's plan was to restore the Met as much a
possible to the 1978 version. The lead architect then was Otillo
Arellano, nephew of the building's original architect in 1931, Juan
Arellano.

But before the restoration work could begin, the three agencies needed
to agree on the work and action plan, or WAP. This was when the delays
started.

Angeles said some people in City Hall thought that the NCCA would
simply turn over the P50 million to the city government, leaving the
bidding and the construction work to City Hall.

The commissioner stressed that the agreement stated that the
rehabilitation was to be a collaborative work of the three agencies.

She added that the NCCA had a mandate to make sure that its funds were
used properly in the restoration, which should be done in accordance
with the internationally accepted standards set by the International
Council for Monuments and Sites (Icomos).

The Paris-based Icomos is one of Unesco's two world heritage-monitoring
arms.

Objections and revisions

The Met Conservation Committee, which is chaired by Manila Mayor
Atienza, is composed of another representative from the city, two from
the GSIS and two from the NCCA.

After the 2004 elections, the NCCA conducted a feasibility study,
which included the inspection of the property and the preparation of
pertinent documents.

In September the same year, the NCCA came up with the WAP. Angeles
said that while the GSIS agreed with the WAP the following month, the
City of Manila kept returning the draft to the NCCA with various
objections and asking for revisions.

It was only in April 2005, "after much persuasion" that the NCCA was
able to get City Hall to agree to the WAP, Angeles said.

Personally, however, the commissioner said she thought the contracts
with City Hall were "strange" because by law, it's the NCCA -- or more
particularly, one of its member agencies, the National Historical
Institute (NHI) -- that should conduct the restoration of landmarks.

Atienza's track record

"The restoration is being turned over to a non-expert … so we have to
ensure that City Hall complies with the highest standards of
conservation," she said, recalling that the Manila city government
"does not exactly rank high" among conservationists and
heritage-savers.

Angeles was referring to Atienza's disagreements with the NCCA, the
NHI, the National Museum and other government agencies and private
groups on the preservation of "culturally significant" sites, such as
the Jai-Alai Building, Mehan Garden, Arroceros Forest Park, the Paco
and Tutuban train stations, and the San Lazaro racetrack.

The commissioner also said that people should not be suspicious or
impatient if they don't see any actual construction work at the Met
just yet.

"Everything has to be in order … we want to be as close to the
original as possible. We'll make sure that much of the original
remains there for the next generations to appreciate," Angeles said.

Research work

The commissioner recounted that in the ongoing restoration work for
the Montpelier estate of US President James Madison in Orange,
Virginia, the research alone took two years, during which the building
was not touched. The estate, which changed hands twice, would be
restored to its 1820s version.

The seven-year restoration employed not just researchers but also
assorted craftsmen, architects and even archaeologists.

"We do move slowly, yes, but the rewards will last longer. We want to
restore the Met and make it usable. We want to make it sturdy so it
will remain a symbol for a long, long time," Angeles explained.

She said the P50 million that would be given to City Hall was also
subject to government regulations on spending and auditing. The amount
was not nearly enough for the Met's complete restoration, which was
estimated to be P200 million.

The NCCA released an initial P15 million, of which P1 million was
earmarked for the full documentation of the Met.

Another P4 million was set for the detailed engineering study (DES),
the contract for which was awarded to Schema Konsult Inc., a Pasig
City-based engineering, planning and project management consultancy
firm.

Old meets new

The remaining P10 million would be released to City Hall for the
restoration of the theater roof, which is a primary concern. Also in
the priority list are: raising the floor from floodwaters and checking
the electrical system.

Angeles said the NCCA also wanted to conduct "a deeper investigation
of the structure, to find out exactly what changes were made between
the 1930s and the 1978 structure."

"If you go in without a plan, you could lose architectural details and
designs, and technological innovations that we might not have seen,"
she explained.

Architecture scholar Edson Cabalfin said the culture expressed in the
architectural style of a building constructed in a particular era is
often the product of "intermingling and hybridization of cultures."

Nationalists may point out that the Art Deco style of the Met was
something foreign and forced upon by American colonizers. Not so,
according to Cabalfin, author of a critical historiography of the
Philippine Art Deco from 1927 to 1941.

He said the Met and the other Art Deco buildings served as expressions
of the Filipino struggle for identity -- one that would blend
Filipino, Asian, Spanish and American influences.

Met as symbol

"[A]s much as Art Deco is seen as the seeming 'infiltration' of a
foreign agent in another culture, the style can also be read as the
means an 'infiltrated' culture adapts and responds to an outside
power," Cabalfin explained.

Philippine Art Deco then, he added, can be understood as "the dynamics
of the imposition of power by the colonizer and the demonstration of
resistance and empowerment of the colonized."

Angeles said the NCCA realized that its reputation was at stake with
the Met restoration project.

"The Met is more than a theater. It is a symbol. If we screw up this
one, we'll never live it down. We'll become known as the agency that
ruined the Met. The people may forget the City of Manila or GSIS, but
they will not forget the NCCA because this [restoration] is our
mandate," she said.

6th restoration for 74-year-old Met
First posted 03:42am (Mla time) Nov 23, 2005
By Jerome Aning
Inquirer News Service

(Second of two parts)

WHEN IT RAINS, it pours inside the Metropolitan Theater.

Neglected for almost 10 years, the Met's roof is riddled with holes
that let in sunlight, rain, air pollution and insects -- all of which
have contributed to the theater's deterioration.

The stage is littered with debris. The orchestra pit is a murky pool.
The seats are moldy. Venturing inside the Met has become a dangerous
exercise, one has to sign a waiver: Enter at your own risk.

This is the Met today, abandoned for various reasons ranging from lack
of funds to disunity among the agencies responsible for its upkeep
namely, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the City of Manila.

The three agencies, however, have set aside their differences and
signed a work and action plan (WAP) in June. President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the release of P50 million to partially
fund the restoration of the theater located at the Liwasang Bonifacio
in Manila.

Lawyer Rose Beatrix "Trixie" Angeles, NCCA commissioner in charge of
national heritage sites, could not say how long the restoration would
take. She noted, however, that the tripartite agreement signed by the
NCCA, GSIS and City Hall shall be in effect for 25 years, renewable
upon the mutual agreement of the parties.

Angeles said the plan was to restore the Met, as much as possible to
the 1978 version ordered by former first lady Imelda Marcos.

The commissioner said one just could not ignore the "layers of
history" in a structure such as the Met -- from 1931, the year it was
constructed to 1996, the year it shut down.

"Everything that passes in between is still history and is recorded in
the structure. That's the modern concept of restoration -- you take
into consideration all the interventions that have been made," she
told the Inquirer.

Blueprints destroyed

Angeles said the 1978 restorers led by Otillo Arellano, nephew of the
Met's original architect Juan Arellano, "did not do such a bad job"
although she faulted them for not leaving enough documentation. Aside
from the structure itself, the NCCA restorers only have a "working
plan" of the original 1931 building as well as several descriptive
articles from old newspapers.

Richard Tuason-Sanchez Bautista, NCCA architect in charge of the Met's
restoration, said the 1931 blueprint was destroyed in the war. The
plans and other files on the 1978 Met as well as Otillo Arellano
himself, perished in separate fires in the 1980s.

"It's very unlikely that we can restore the Met to the 1930s version
because of lack of information," Bautista said. "But more or less,
what's in the 1930s drawing and the existing structure renovated in
1978, are still the same."

Art Deco

The Met was built in the Art Deco style, which was popular in North
America and Europe in the 1930s. Juan Arellano designed a rectangular
shaped auditorium, flanked on each side by pavilions and open
courtyards.

The theater's cornerstone was laid in 1930, rising from public land
leased in 1929 through the efforts of Manila Mayor Tomas Earnshaw to
the Metropolitan Theater Company (MTC).

The MTC, composed of eminent Manila residents such as Horace Pon,
Antonio Milliam, Leopoldo Khan, Manuel Camus, Enrique Zobel and Rafael
Palma, raised P1 million for the project.

Arellano's brother Arcadio added the Philippine-style ornamentation to
the structure, giving rise to a hybridized Art Deco style unique in
the country.

Amorsolo paintings

The theater's façade had rectangular stained glass windows depicting
sunbursts. The stepped façade had "tapestries" of colored tiles --
zigzag motifs evoking the batik or the traditional Malay dyed fabric
-- and bas-reliefs of stylized Philippine flora.

The segmental arched parapet had small Muslim minarets with fountain
designs while the colonnade had low-relief medallions. The principal
grilled entrances portrayed art deco birds of paradise.

Inside the theater, the lobby or foyer displayed two mural paintings
titled "The Dance" and "History of Music" by Fernando Amorsolo. There
were modern sculptures of Franceso R. Monti, an Italian sculptor
residing in the Philippines.

The Met was inaugurated on Dec. 10, 1931. In its heyday, the theater
seated 1,670 people: 846 in the orchestra, 116 in the lodge and 708 in
the balcony.

If the restoration succeeds, this new Met will be the sixth
reincarnation of the 74-year-old edifice.

The first Met catered to the cultural proclivities of the country's
elite in the '30s while the second showcased the wartime flowering of
Filipino culture.

Ruined by the Allied Liberation, the third Met went through several
transformations -- boxing arena, cheap motel, gay bar, basketball
court, garage and warehouse and finally home to 50 squatter families.

The fourth Met purported to pave the way for the renaissance of the
performing arts in the 1970s under the "New Society" of the Marcos
regime. The collapse of the dictatorship gave way to the fifth Met, a
dying symbol of its lost glory.

The Met finally closed down, with the final performance in its
auditorium in 1996.

New life

People of the 1980s and early 1990s best remember the Met as the
setting for the finale of the Sharon Cuneta blockbuster, "Bituing
Walang Ningning." The theater was also where actress now Lipa City
Mayor Vilma Santos aired her weekly variety show.

Whether the Met's latest restoration would be its last, remains to be
seen.

As Angeles put it: "We can't bring back the Met's old glory but we can
usher in a new one."

THanks for editing your post:) Its much better now. but you dont need to hurry into making a new thread. There are other people that can start the thread too, you know;)

Thank You! :) I was just hurrying because I was pressured. My presumption was that because I created the 4th, maybe I was responsible to create the 5th.

But anyway, I won't hurry up next time, if ever I could still create a thread. :D

^^that's really good news for the Met! :okay: with the grime on its walls and broken glass/fixtures around it, mukha talagang kawawa ang Met.

about the photos i posted...salamat:)

@boybaha: they're quite fast really...nice set-up too! but noticed that those large boards (both sides of the grandstand) will block the view from the grandstand. so there are certainly no good vantage points for people to watch the show except maybe if they will put up temporary bleachers opposite the grandstand but with just four days till opening, there is hardly any sign of it! you can't fully appreciate this kind of shows if you're watching it from ground level.

@sista: no problem, sista!:D marami ka na bang inaanak?

@thomasian: bless muna sa ninong, aaron! kaya lang may pila :lol:

@mhe-ann: may powers pala si dave na mag-appoint eh! :lol

grat news about the met...i hope this time they do the preservation all around. it's kinna silly for the officials or whoever is involved with the met not to atleast put a blanket cover on the roof so that atleast the damge wont be so bad...maybe they want it this way so that more money needed and they could get a bigger share =(

i remember we had to make an assesment for that national heritage for our Natsci subject... yun talaga gusto namin gawin... pero bago ka makapasok sa Met... kelangan mo pang magbayad ng fee sa main office ng GSIS (500 to 1000++) just to take pictures inside the place... so sila pala may hawak nung lugar?! kung sa bagay nandun ung manila office nila...

so we ended up doing the binindo church... for free..

wow! fifth thread na! tamang-tama we have some new pics!

sea games opening ceremony venue
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/sea%20games/a9bf547d.jpg

rizal park
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/5f90a670.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/79d7610e.jpg

decors
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/2b562d56.jpg

city hall christmas tree
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/manila/b719c60f.jpg


Beautiful - the pictures, the locations and the SEA event that will be taking place in our very own Philippines. Simply divine.

boy i hope i could post pictures of tracea aquatic complex here in los baños.....it's cool....

well, christmas spirit is everywhere in manila now... even in our own grounds at UST, they are starting to put christmas lights and they are building the giant christmas tree also... that's what i love in UST every december, full of lights and you will really feel that christmas is near.

I love the lights of the main building. It's there in my avatar.
Have you seen the previous lighting of the main building wherein they use real light bulbs placed side-by-side instead of the current rope-lights used to outline the building? That one looks much better than the rope-light currently being used because it's much brighter, parang nagliliyab yung main building sa liwanag.

nag-comment yung isang indonesian VIP na inassist ko, mas prepared pa daw tayo sa xmas kesa sa seag :D pero alam nya nga yung 'austerity' situation thungy kaya pinipilit daw nyang intindihin kahit mahirap....

Dept. of Tourism, Luneta
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a328/nomdeusuario/tourism.jpg

Luneta Hotel
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a328/nomdeusuario/lunetahotel2.jpg

That's not the Dept of Tourism... that's the National Museum (old Senate Building).

That Luneta Hotel--- kawawa talaga... They really need to find somebody to give them money to protect it. Isn't NCCA or NHI doing anything about this? At least raise awareness so they could find a private partner? They don't have money themselves, but this is a place where they should be lobbying for some kind of fundraising.

yeah Luneta Hotel looks really in poor condition, i dont know who owns this building but if they dont have the funds, let a private party restore it and make it usable, like a condo or office building....it's in a great location..

^buti nde bina-bahayan ng mga squatter or mga drug addicts

yeah Luneta Hotel looks really in poor condition, i dont know who owns this building but if they dont have the funds, let a private party restore it and make it usable, like a condo or office building....it's in a great location..

they should restore it as a hotel.;)

It'd make a pretty good hotel location, I'm not too sure about the parking but anything that will make it usable and restored is fine with most of us

For a time they used two floors to house the intricate gowns of Imelda Marcos like a mini-museum. Maybe they can convert that to some sort of Philippine version of Madame Tussaud's Museum as well as to exhibit the Marcos jewelry.

they should do something about it because the location is great and it's just a beautiful building..one of a kind in the country

Dept. of Tourism, Luneta
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a328/nomdeusuario/tourism.jpg

Luneta Hotel
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a328/nomdeusuario/lunetahotel2.jpg


Look at these two great historic buildings. They show our history, our culture. Us. I've heard things about the Luneta Hotel's present state, but if they won't keep up the hotel part, then I think they should just fix some of the building or all of it, and then declare it as an official tourist site with tours and all. It's too beautiful and legendary to be pushed to the side.

ah yes. sorry. it's the National Museum, i can see "National" hehehe. yea. they both should be preserved. and Luneta Hotel should undergo repair and renovation. It's more beautiful than Manila Hotel even.

Building reminds me of one of those skyscrapers in Madrid.

Luneta Hotel, still.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a328/nomdeusuario/lunetahotel02.jpg

^that's sad with such eloquent design, no one is preserving that building. wala bang magagawa kahit petition for the government or donation through out world, enable this building to be preserved.

who owns it ba?? usually kasi pag ganyan.. private property.. tapos nasa abroad na yung mga may ari.. kaya wala nang nag ma maintain..

^ alam ko pag d2 sa 'tate. pag-ginawa yan, kukunin yan ng gobyerno tapos theyre gonna auction it.

Luneta Hotel looks beautiful - could be in Paris! :)

someone really should do something about luneta hotel before atienza pays attention to it.

once he does it's either he demolish it (like poor jai alai) or fix it temporarily by painting it badly with unpleasant colors (a la avenida art decos) and putting lots of weird cheap lighting (think roxas blvd, taft ave, adriatico, bridges...looks cool though) and then leave it without trying to maintain the site (baywalk, plaza rajah sulayman, plaza bonifacio, avenida pedestrianization, muele del rio, plaza miranda, quiapo underpass...pretty much everything he fixed).

and then when everything's done and restored, there'd be another big sign saying this guy in red floral shirt revitalized manila. nice early campaign ad!

they should restore it as a hotel.;)

It makes a great Ritz, Conrad or Fairmont...

luneta hotel is owned by the family of dona trining enriquez, owners of D and E restaurant, sulo hotel, puerto azul, philippine village hotel and grand boulevard (previously known as silahis international where the playboy club was).

apparently, the philippine government is staking its claim vs the enriquez family because of their closeness to imelda marcos.

i gathered from one of my aunts (close to the enriquezes) that luneta hotel was structurally damaged after the 1989 earthquake (remember the quake was so strong that it destroyed baguio's hyatt terraces--some buildings in manila were also affected).

because of the enriquez family's legal problems, they do not have time to look after luneta hotel.

^ "Staking a claim" as in sequestration of assets?

Is there still D & E restaurant? My parents had their reception there when they got married.

someone really should do something about luneta hotel before atienza pays attention to it.

once he does it's either he demolish it (like poor jai alai) or fix it temporarily by painting it badly with unpleasant colors (a la avenida art decos) and putting lots of weird cheap lighting (think roxas blvd, taft ave, adriatico, bridges...looks cool though) and then leave it without trying to maintain the site (baywalk, plaza rajah sulayman, plaza bonifacio, avenida pedestrianization, muele del rio, plaza miranda, quiapo underpass...pretty much everything he fixed).

and then when everything's done and restored, there'd be another big sign saying this guy in red floral shirt revitalized manila. nice early campaign ad!

agreed with your post! it's not only Lito Atienza who does leave his very prominent and ugly marks on his projects, other mayors and officials do that too and it's very irritating. They should stop putting their pictures and names in big bold red letters in projects they headed. Because of that, the beauty of the finished product is shattered and stained with filf and the narcissism of our officials

and they don't have to remind us that they build those projects. we elected them to do those stuff. besides, the funding did not come from their own money. a budget was allocated for that. as a matter of fact corrupt ones (majority?) even manipulate the prices of materials to satisfy their greed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/001makatifromdlsu.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/002stillmakatifromdlsu.jpg
makati skyline mula sa gusali ng sch sa manila.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/003sjcourtcampushalls.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/004egitafttower.jpg
sj court at egi taft tower

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/005people.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/006samepeople.jpg
tamad nga tao. wala pang dumarating sa classroom nakaka inip. :bash:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/007rizalpool.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/008stillrizalpool.jpg
amboring ng klase. nag uutuan lang kami na may ginagawa. sa cr tanaw ang rizal sports complex kung saan ginaganap ang athletics. hindi sila kita kasi yung pool to at wala namang naglalaro dun dahil asa lb sila. :bash:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/009drikingbuddies.jpg
tanghali. nag lunch break yung photocopy girls kaya nag inuman na lang kami sa malapit na inuman

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/010tattooaddict.jpg
sa pedro gil sinamahan namin isang kaibigan na nagpapadagdag ng tattoo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/011pickingapiercing.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/012for70pesos.jpg
diretso naman kami nung isa sa rp ermita dahil bigla niyang naisipang magpabutas ng extra sa left ear.

hehe sorry walang scraper and tourist destination pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/013baywalkna.jpg
diretso baywalk mula rp. kaya lang natagalan kami kaya wala nang sun.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/014bbaywalking.jpg
tambay sa tapat ng plaza sulayman, paboritong spot.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/shigure/Revolution%20Series/015greatestcliche.jpg
uh. wala lang. :bash: lagot. di naman sila nag ssc.

ganda ng mga pics lalo na ang 3rd set.

Galing ng pictures. Parang day in the life of our city, Manila.

salamat!

^ Talagang enjoy ako sa photo-essays mo weirdAnthony. :) (Saan nag pa-tatoo yung friend mo?) Parang enjoy pa siya. Walang sakit.

i like the effect of the low resultion photos and how you took photos of that day for you.....will like to see more of these type of photos from you.

agreed with your posts! it's not only Lito Atienza who does leave his very prominent and ugly marks on his projects, other mayors and officials do that too and it's very irritating. They should stop putting their pictures and names in big bold red letters in projects they headed. Because of that, the beauty of the finished product is shattered and stained with filf and the narcissism of our officials
I agree with both your posts. Sure I give credit to Atienza for starting rejuvination manila program , but isn't that his job as an elected official. and about the signs ,I also hate that. It seems his beautification is half assed or half baked anyways . lets spread awareness and bust these politicians. They bank on ignorant and apathetic pinoys to extend their stay of power. they never trully address the grassroots of the problem everything is just skin deep aesthetics. Give the pinoy just enough to keep him at bay until their term ends is most of their mottos. Like scraps and bones.

@Lili: sanay na kasi siya.

@edmundtanso: salamat! sure.

@marites: agree! dapat siguro may info campaign.

I love your pictures weirdo (especially the ones with people in it)! it really showed the freshness of the scenes :okay:

It makes a great Ritz, Conrad or Fairmont...

. . . Four Seasons, Plaza Athenee, or Bristol.

galing anthony. :bow:

Lito A is at it again... Read on. Does anybody know the building in question? And is it architecturally significant? I think also that there's another part that this article isn't focusing on (or perhaps it's mentioning it but leaving the important stuff between the lines). Atienza in the deal would have power to negotiate with the private contractors. Hmmm hmmm hmmm.... Sounds a little smelly.



Binondo schools transfer underway

First posted 11:22pm (Mla time) Nov 30, 2005
By Tina G. Santos
Inquirer News Service



Editor's Note: Published on Page A19 of the December 1, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA City officials are determined to proceed with the relocation of two public schools in Binondo to make way for a housing project despite the opposition of educators and parents of students.

The City Council has already approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Lito Atienza to enter into an agreement with a corporation for the construction and development of a new school complex for students of the Rajah Sulayman and Jose Abad Santos high schools.

The proposed structure will be built on the 21,727 square meter property located at the corner of Numancia and Urbiztondo Streets, San Nicolas, also in Binondo, only a kilometer away from the schools' present site on La Chambre Street.

Another resolution passed by the council also empowers Atienza to enter into a contract with an investor for the development and construction of housing facilities on the property to be vacated by the schools.

Councilor Manuel Zarcal, who authored one of the resolutions, said the transfer would put the students in a new and modern setting conducive to learning since the new school would have a language proficiency center, a teachers' dormitory, shops and other amenities.

He assured the students and their parents that there would be no relocation until the new school complex is finished.

Earlier, some school officials, teachers, parents and students had asked Atienza to stop the project, claiming that the 60-year-old school is one of the last remaining historical landmarks in the city. "The school is already a part of history considering that it was named after a great hero, Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos," said a school official who declined to be identified. Parents and teachers also urged city officials to conduct a public hearing or consultation among the affected parties before pushing through the project.

Atienza had said the project would greatly benefit the city and the people of Manila.

^^ God, doesn't that man have a sense of history at all?

^ about the story, some people are blinded by filthy money

Binondo, the old Parian district

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a328/nomdeusuario/binondo.jpg

Luneta Hotel
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a328/nomdeusuario/lunetahotel2.jpg[/QUOTE]

Sayang, someone should restore it ... just like Michael J Fox in the movie For Love or Money :)

Here's a very nice aerial of Manila:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/sandwalker206/312807362wVLaqI_fs.jpg
taken by keung_ugals from http://www.webshots.com/search?query=keung_ugals&start=20

WOW! Jeffreyi, this is AWESOME! Thanks!

^wow jefrey that lookslike Paris :D

Ahhh!! Intramuros! beautiful...

Can't they relocate the Port Area? I always feel uneasy when im at Simon Anda Monument. It's like im being squeezed.. The land can be used for other purposes such as another 'Expo' site, or a New Intramuros/Plaza with modern filipino architecture--restaurants, shops, hotels.. or simply a much bigger park (olympic park?)