Manila: Airbus A380 lands in Manila

The Airbus A380, the largest passenger jet in the world, lands in Manila! That erases all doubts on whether the NAIA is capable of receiving such a large aircraft. I was lucky to witness its arrival first-hand. It's off to Clark today.

Related article
Largest passenger jet touches down in Manila

Manila: Mixology Sessions at Prince of Japiur

I joined the October 9 Mixology (drink mixing) Session of Happyhours, Inc. at Prince of Jaipur at the Fort. Training us was master mixologist Kaiz Patel, fiance of my college friend Michelle Perez.

Anyway, we learned to dish up four drinks namely Cosmopolitan, Caipirojka (which is similar to a Mojito or Caipirinha), Cucumbertini and Chillax Guava. The drinks were great. I think I'll try doing them at home. Of course, part of the class was a sampling of Indian food from Prince of Jaipur. We were served a kebab sampler of beef and mutton sausages, chicken, fish, vegetables, etc. Yummy! I was yearning for more!

The P750 class fee is most definitely worth it since you get free drinks you mix yourselves, great Indian food, and an better appreciation of mixed drinks. The event is held regularly so check out their website or contact Michelle at (0915) 9977950 for future dates.

Manila: Manila Bay sunset

This afternoon, I took a Japanese friend around Manila. Our SSEAYP batchmate Noby was here for a few weeks to study tropical diseases in the Philippines. Anyway, I took him to Intramuros first. We visited the San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral. Our next stop was Rizal Park where we took a quick stroll around.

To cap the afternoon, we watched the famed Manila Bay sunset along the Baywalk (don't worry folks, I was assured that Lim has plans for the place and that it will not violate the law like the previous project).

There were a lot of people, several foreigners too taking photos. The breeze was strong but there was a slight odor. Then as I was about to rave about the view, I saw the small strip of beach near the US Embassy. Will the people responsible for the area please clean all the garbage up?!

Manila: Bring back the good old days at the Met

I've been gathering information about conservation projects all over the country for a report I will be presenting at a seminar next week. So I passed by the Metropolitan Theatre, which I believe is the most prominent heritage structure currently undergoing restoration. Yes folks, they're restoring the Met!

I was toured around by Archt. Richard Bautista of the NCCA. Indeed, the interiors and exteriors will make you go loco over Deco! For more information on the project, check out the article which I posted as a comment below. Calling all Met alumni, I think a fund-raising reunion concert is in order. What do you think?

I also checked out the Arroceros Forest Park. Well, it does not look like a forest anymore. How sad it was to see a concrete covered forest no thanks to Atienza. It's now the Arroceros Concrete Paver Park with matching building at the entrance. Indeed, Atienza deserves the tag "Butcher of Arroceros" for the travesty he committed.

Anyway, since the park is along the banks of the Pasig River, you could see two bridges namely the Quezon Bridge and the Ayala Bridge (its precursor, the Puente de Convalecencia, was said to be have been designed by Gustave Eiffel). More photos in Multiply.

Technorati Tags: manila, metro manila, philippines, heritage, conservation, historical sites, architecture, art deco, travel, travel blog

Manila: Heritage updates from Manila

So much has happened the past few days. I've been so busy with work, school and all my organizations. Anyway, here's a run-down of some developments in the news:

1. Rizal Avenue old-timers welcome reopening (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 07/19/2007)
Many people have been asking about the stand of the Heritage Conservation Society regarding the reopening of the pedestrianized portion of Avenida to vehicular traffic. In all honesty, HCS does not have a stand as of yet. And admittedly, many in the HCS Board had not seen the pedestrianized Avenida for us to say something about it. So we asked Archt. Dinky von Einsiedel for his comments, he being the urban planner in the HCS Board. Here is what he said:

"I was still living abroad when I learned of the pedestrianization of Rizal Avenue. Since that time, I have been trying to get a copy of the study that led to the 'Buhayin and Maynila' program of Mayor Atienza which the Rizal Avenue project is supposed to be part of. I've been wanting to understand the background for it and whether there had been any stakeholder consultations for it. But I have not had any success. It appears that there has been no such study. And that there has been no consultation either.

"The concept and practice of pedestrianization is well-entrenched in other cities in Europe, USA, and in more recently even in China. Its a popular approach for inner city revitalization. I assumed the Rizal Avenue case had the same set of objectives. But it seems that it was purely a beautification effort. Concededly, the construction of the LRT 'killed' businesses along the avenue especially during construction. After it was completed, the structure made the avenue dark and, while business resumed, it was not as brisk as before. I interpret this to be the reason for the need to beautify the area - to make it more pleasant for shoppers. I thought it did a good job, at least when I saw it after it was inaugurated.

"But I learned later how the project was decided. The story was narrated to me by the contractor who undertook the beautification works. They were driving down Rizal Avenue one day and Atienza asked his advice on what can be done to beautify the avenue. He suggested to pedestrianize it, put in benches and plants, beautify the columns and put in lights to brighten up the underside of the LRT structure. He added that he had a lot of leftover materials from his other projects that could be used immediately. Atienza agreed and the project proceeded.

"I understand the Baywalk was similarly decided like that, as well as other projects under the 'Buhayin ang Maynila' program. There has been no comprehensive study, no plan, no consultation, nothing; just pure and simple impulsive decisions on a project-to-project basis. That's why it's prone to be derailed especially when the principal stakeholders (e.g. business owners) don't support the idea."

2. Court issues TRO stopping work on Intramuros project (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 07/20/2007)
Kudos to Secretary Joseph Durano for seeking a TRO versus Dean Barbers' illegal project in Intramuros! As the article notes: "The court said Barbers had violated the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1616, as amended, and its implementing rules that prohibit any form of construction or repair in Intramuros without a development permit from the IA. The decree declares the entire Intramuros area as a major historical landmark."

3. Demolition of condemned Manila buildings sought (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 07/21/2007)
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Manila passed a resolution calling for the demolition of all condemned buildings and infrastructure in the city. At face value, the resolution seems to be the right thing to do. But the problem is, many heritage buildings were inappropriately condemned by the Manila City Engineer's Office which has no appreciation whatsoever for heritage.

As Prof. Butch Zialcita mentions: "I'm afraid that the list will include [heritage] buildings. Right beside the Nakpil house is the beautiful but dilapidated Boix House which the Jesuits have inherited. City Hall engineers claim this is unsafe. But Archt. Mico Manalo, who inspected it, says it is perfectly sound except for the azotea. I am quite sure they have included other 1900s houses in Manila. Their engineers are ignorant about or are prejudiced against earlier types of buildings."

He adds, "Tourism on the North Bank of the Pasig has increased thanks precisely to these antique, but dilapidated, buildings. Carlos Celdran, Ivan Mandy, Tess Obusan and myself bring tourists (both local and foreign) around the old quarters of Manila. Regularly, members of the different embassies, French and Spanish, for instance, call us up because they want to see these 'dilapidated' but charming houses."

It would be a great loss to the City of Manila if these dilapidated heritage buildings are included in the call for demolition. It would be best if Manila restores these charming old buildings, just as other capital cities all over the world are doing.

4. Arroceros Forest Park regained (The Manila Times, 07/06/2007)
Arroceros welcomes visitors again! As Maribel Ongpin writes in her column, "For the Winner Foundation and its friends among the general public, the reopening and taking back of Arroceros Forest Park under the newly elected city administration was a bittersweet experience last Sunday, July 1. That justice has prevailed and that the public has its park back is indeed a sweet vindication of all their work and the vicissitudes they had to put up with in the past. But the changed circumstances of the park of 2.2 hectares which lost approximately 70 percent of its forest cover (as estimated by its landscape architect) to a building and a travesty of a garden was woeful."

She adds, "In this whole sorry business Mayor Atienza was the mastermind but the teachers who played the flunkeys are just as guilty for the carried out their deeds for self-serving reasons. 'There are no tyrants where there are no slaves' as Rizal acutely and sadly observed of some of his countrymen. Now the Winner Foundation picks up the pieces and moves to the future even as it rebuilds what was destroyed."

5. Resistance growing vs Atienza as DENR chief (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 07/20/2007)
After reading Maribel Ongpin's column, need we ask why? The "Butcher of Arroceros" is now DENR Secretary. Oh brother!

6. Adopt a lighthouse (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 07/23/2007)
According to Archt. Toti Villalon, there are "21 surviving Philippine lighthouses located in the deserted extremes of the Philippine archipelago, all rendered obsolete by 21st-century satellite or sonar navigational system." The answer of the Philippine Coast Guard to preserve them is the 'Adopt a Lighthouse' program.

As Villalon notes, "The Philippine lighthouses are Bagacay in Cebu; Bagato, Sorsogon; Batag, Northern Samar; Bugui Point, Masbate; Cabra, Mindoro Occidental; Calabasa, Iloilo; Canigao, Leyte; Cape Bojeador, Ilocos Norte; Cape Bolinao, Pangasinan; Corregidor, Manila; Cape Engaño, Cagayan; Melville, Palawan; Cape Santiago, Batangas; Capones, Zambales; Capul, Northern Samar; Donsol, Sorsogon; Jintotolo, Masbate; Malabrigo, Batangas; Pasig River, Manila; San Bernardino, Sorsogon; and Siete Pecados, Guimaras." Care to adopt one?

7. Pasig River runs through them (Philippine Star, 07/21/2007)
Paolo Alcazaren writes, "The Intramuros, or the walled city of Manila, is a national (and Asian) heritage site that was almost lost to the ravages of war and the post-war invasion of informal settlers. It has been slowly recovering its fabric in the ‘70s to today, hanging on desperately despite recurring threats from commercialization.

"Today, another threat is emerging, actually already rising in concrete and steel — a sports complex by the storied walls of Old Manila! The monstrous encroachment is reportedly the project of Dean Barbers, Philippine Tourism Authority general manager. Costing P85 million, the complex is being built in the Club Intramuros driving range area (itself already a blight on the landscape) and very close to the walls. The project, say sources, was rammed through despite the disapproval of the PTA board. How GM Barbers was able to do this seems incomprehensible to everyone but the contractor and workers at the construction site. Even the Intramuros Administration has issued an order for the work to stop but to no avail.

"Tourism Secretary Ace Durano apparently also seems powerless to prevent the disaster from happening. He had reportedly sent a memo to Barbers to stop construction, reminding Barbers that the project has no approval from the PTA board.

"I wish the P85 million had been spent on improving the parks and plazas of the Intramuros. The money could also go a long way to make the destination friendlier to local and foreign tourists by providing better street lighting, more security, an ikot type hop-on, hop-off shuttle inside the walls, or simply contribute to the whole areas upkeep, garbage collection and general maintenance.

"The DOT, to which the PTA is supposedly attached, has to act now or take command responsibility for this madness. The metropolis is replete with sports complexes and, correct me if I’m wrong, building these facilities is not a core function of a tourism body. Otherwise, it should be renamed the DOST, the Department of Sports and Tourism and its adjunct office, the PSTA, the Philippine Sports and Tourism Authority.

"Wow, only in da Pilipins!"

8. Mayor Lim creates Manila Historical and Heritage Commission
This is not yet in the news but I'm happy to announce that Mayor Alfredo Lim revived the Manila Historical Commission and renamed it Manila Historical and Heritage Commission. Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil will serve as chairperson. I'll send updates as soon as the group convenes. Kudos to Mayor Lim!

Technorati Tags: manila, philippines, heritage, conservation, historical sites, travel, travel blog

Manila: When was the last time you visited Rizal Park?

I was at the HCS office today in Museo Pambata (former Elks Club Building) for an HCS Youth Chapter meeting. Several schools were represented including UP, UST, Ateneo, DLSU and Adamson. It just shows that the heritage advocacy is being powered by young people. The group has a lot of plans for the year. Check out the HCS website regularly for updates.

After the meeting, I walked to nearby Rizal Park. There are several important heritage buildings around the perimeter of the park including the Elks Club Building (Museo Pambata), the Luneta Hotel, Army & Navy Club and Manila Hotel which are all National Historical Landmarks, and the former Department of Finance and the current Department of Tourism buildings. Rizal Park itself is a National Historical Site being the execution site of several Philippine heroes and martyrs. While the Rizal Monument is one of three National Historical Monuments.

My stroll around the park was pleasant. The afternoon breeze was relaxing. The park is well-maintained and the landscaping was quite good except for the flagpole area (I don't remember seeing all those pots and volcanic rock at the base of the flagpole before), which I find cluttered and very kitsch! Whoever approved that should be fired!

Around the park were several monuments to the martyrs of Bagumbayan and markers at the sites of execution of Jose Rizal, and the three priests namely Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora. Across Roxas Boulevard was the Quirino Grandstand. If you notice a small marker with the number zero on it, that's Kilometer Zero which is the reference point for all road markers in Luzon. Anyway, after that short stroll, I went back home.

Technorati Tags: manila, philippines, heritage, historical sites, rizal park, architecture, travel blog

Manila: The FEU campus is fantastic!

I was at Far Eastern University (FEU) today for a campus tour with Ivan ManDy and all I could say is that the Art Deco buildings designed by Pablo Antonio, National Artist for Architecture, and the collection of art around campus are fantastic! I never thought that amidst the chaos of Recto and Quezon Boulevard is an oasis, a well-planned campus very conducive to learning. The designs of the new buildings are brilliant and blend perfectly with the old. The campus planners of DLSU should get lessons from the efficient use of space and the elegant designs and arrangement of buildings in FEU. It's no surprise the campus was recognized by UNESCO for heritage conservation.

As Ivan ManDy writes: "The Far Eastern University, located in Manila's chaotic and overcrowded University Belt, is the proverbial rose in a sea of thorns. Years of neglect... led to the [campus] falling into hard times, hardly a fit place to inspire the minds of our country's future [leaders]. But then the FEU administration decided... to roll up its sleeves and do something. In one fell swoop, [the campus] morphed from an uninviting, graffiti-infested, makeshift patchwork of classrooms, food-areas and dingy business stalls to [restore itself to] the gleaming Art Deco complex worthy of educating the best minds of the country.

"This is the FEU campus today, a touch of architectural class in a city that seems to have forgotten how beautiful she once was. That the university... is in the midst of one of the most high-density and polluted districts of the city did not deter FEU from battling urban blight head on. But what particularly makes the FEU campus noteworthy is that it proved to many how old buildings do not have to mean derelict and unfashionable. In fact they [the restored buildings] are hip and cool..."

"Buildings in the FEU campus were constructed between 1930-1950; they had been mostly designed by National Artist Pablo Antonio. Felipe Mendoza designed the other campus structures, notably the chapel. All of campus structures were restored to their original appearance. All new buildings were designed in a contemporary style compatible with the old. Without resorting to architectural mimicry of the heritage architecture, the new blended perfectly with the old."

One of the details which I liked were the bronze sculptures around the flagpole done by another National Artist Vicente Manansala. The quadrangle itself is well-planned with the Philippine flag serving as the center of life in campus. Also check out the "Stations of the Cross" murals of National Artist Carlos "Botong" Francisco in the chapel, and the sculpture murals of Francesco Monti and Art Deco mural of Simon Saulog both in the administration building. Watch out for the Old Manila Walks tour of FEU soon. More photos in Multiply.

Campus tour
Ateneo de Manila University
De La Salle University

Manila: Have you tried karting?

Tonight, I went kart racing at Kart Trak in Boom na Boom. My high school batch is celebrating its tenth year anniversary this year and this was the first in a series of events we've planned. This was the second time my batch organized a go kart enduro. Two years ago, we did it at the Manila SpeedZone in Fort Bonifacio. A go kart enduro can be an individual or team event. Each driver or team must make as many laps as they can in a given period of time. Tonight, we did a one and a half hour endurance race. And now my muscles ache! But it was all fun and I just wanted to share the photos with you in my Multiply and our batch page.

Manila: More travel notes from Manila

Today, I was at Intramuros again. I had invited my brod Bikoy Villanueva to join me and my tokayo, Ivan ManDy around Manila. We met up at the Bahay Tsinoy Museum where we got a lecture on Tsinoy History 101. From there, we walked towards the San Agustin Church since I was going to meet with Fr. Pedro Galende, director of the San Agustin Museum, regarding the plans to reconstruct the Second Monastery. It turns out, the San Agustin issue was a false alarm. The photos which circulated among cultural workers on the net are from an old design idea that never became a plan.

I mentioned to Fr. Galende that they should not have displayed those design ideas on the second floor of the museum. Anyway, the blue prints of the current plans are now on display on the first floor, an exterior reconstruction that was approved by UNESCO itself. The current design came about from several technical working group meetings with representatives from the National Museum, NHI, NCCA and IA and HCS members.

Fr. Galende was very receptive. He in fact wants feedback on the current design if there are any and requested me to relay the same to him. I posted the current plans above (there are several panels in San Agustin) for everyone's information.

From San Agustin, we decided to walk towards the Binondo area. While we were on the Jones Bridge, we saw the Pasig River Ferry docked in the Escolta Station and rushed to check it out. The next station, Sta. Ana, was just 30 minutes away so we decided to hop on board. We spent PHP25 each one-way.

There are several proposed stations along the Pasig River from Del Pan Bridge close to the mouth of the river up to Sta. Elena in Marikina. At the moment, four are already operational namely Escolta, Sta. Ana, Hulo and Guadalupe.

We weren't able to take photos during the more scenic part of the ferry ride because of security concerns. I wonder what the paranoia is all about, all these restrictions on taking photos of Malacanang. During my ferry rides in Bangkok and Singapore, I was able to take photos of the Grand Palace and Parliament House respectively. That's why I found this restriction especially absurd since after Malacanang, the river becomes black, the stench of the water becomes unbearable, and from old colonial buildings, you see the Pandacan Oil Depot, warehouses, factories, squatters and garbage among others!

From the Sta. Ana Station, we walked a few meters to the Sta. Ana Church, a national cultural treasure. The retablo is among the best in Metro Manila. In fact, I believe it's the most intact church complex in Manila with its convento and all.

After that brief tour of the church, we rushed back to the station to catch the ferry back to Escolta only to wait for thirty more minutes since the ferry was late. I hope they are able to perfect the arrival and departure times especially when more stations open. We went to the nearest Chinese restaurant along Escolta for dinner. I was craving for hot and sour soup so we ordered a bowl. We also had some siomai, beef spareribs and fried rice.

After dinner, since I was craving for dumplings, we went to Dong Bei to munch on their popular dumplings, pancakes and noodles. While we were eating, we found out our vehicles were locked inside the Bahay Tsinoy. And since they had an alarm system, we couldn't get them until the next day! So all of us had to commute home. Oh well!

Thanks to Bikoy for our photos in San Agustin and the Pasig River Ferry. Check out Bikoy.net for his account of our trip.

Heritage candidate
Val Sandiego, head of the Carcar Heritage Conservation Society, is probably the first candidate ever in the Philippines to run on a heritage-based platform. Sandiego is a candidate for Mayor in Carcar, the most important heritage town in Cebu province. More details here.

Manila: Quiapo, heart of Manila

I just came from the book launching of Quiapo: Heart of Manila. The back cover of the book reads: "Quiapo district in the City of Manila is more than the Nazarene and Quezon Boulevard. It has excelled in painting, music, cooking and the arts. It harbors landmarks which are unique in the world. It is also neighborhoods in charming 1900s settings. In revitalizing the metropolis, Manila's centuries-old districts deserve as much care as the suburbs."

The welcome message of Dr. Fernando N. Zialcita, anthropologist and professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, really set the tone for the book and Quiapo as a unique district. And it would be a pity if I did not feature excerpts here since it was very informative and at times, intriguing. Here are some interesting parts of his speech:

"If Quiapo were in Melbourne, the rich and famous would be scrambling to live in it." These are the words of Dr. Trevor Hogan, an Australian sociologist who taught some courses in urbanism at the Far Eastern University over five years ago and who loved the streets, alleys and corners of Quiapo. I run the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista center for culture in Quiapo. We get visitors from the different embassies, like the Spanish and French embassies, who come on their own. Employees in the Department of Tourism tell us that they now get many requests for information on Quiapo.

But why Quiapo? Isn't it dirty, polluted and crime-ridden? Why do foreigners enjoy exploring the side-streets?

The heart of major cities abroad is not the shopping mall, not the gated communities but districts like Quiapo, where the rich, the middle class and the poor mix together, where your place of work is close to where you live, where the streets are lively throughout the day, and where there are beautiful historical landmarks.

In addition, there are experiences unique to Quiapo. Calle Hidalgo may now be disorderly; but it still points like an arrow to San Sebastian Church. "The street is like a stage-set" exclaimed a young Italian architect. Calle San Sebastian may be a small winding street. But it has beautiful 1920s mansions over which San Sebastian rises. On special days, the entire church is lit up. If you walk around the district, you will find inspiring scenes. For instance, between the accesorias decorated with ornate balusters and grilles, you will find patios where neighbors exchange stories while sharing steaming arroz caldo.

Quiapo is where different cultures meet. The bells of Quiapo Church alternate with the sacred call to prayer at the Golden Mosque. On another street, the Ocampo Pagoda shows off Japanese icons: carp for strength, a turtle for long-life, a dragon for Imperial majesty. You can enjoy this mixed experience only in Quiapo, the heart of Manila which is the heart of the Philippines. One of the many reasons we wrote the book was to show that if Quiapo were more orderly, it will be a showpiece.

Indeed, Quiapo is a showpiece. I finally got to walk along Hidalgo Street which Butch Zialcita had always been telling us about. For the longest time, there had been plans to revitalize the street as a heritage district which was supposed to be spearheaded by the Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) located along the street. But that was ages ago.

Several years have passed. The fabled and historic Enriquez Mansion, the birthplace of the UP School of Fine Arts which was housed there from 1909 to 1926, had already been ripped out of the heritage street and transferred to that property in Bagac, Bataan leaving a large empty space in what would have been the centerpiece of the heritage street. But there is still hope if we act fast. And I hope the professors there get their acts together and start working to rehabilitate their area the same way that the Far Eastern University made a great effort to clean up and prepare a rehabilitation plan for Nicanor Reyes Street and its environs.

I missed the program at the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista along Bautista (formerly Barbosa) Street where an exhibit on Juan Nakpil, national artist for architecture, was opened. The house was designed by equally renowned architect Juan Arellano for Dr. Ariston Bautista and his in-laws, the Nakpil family. I came just in time to catch the group which included Butch, restoration architect Mico Manalo, Manila streetwalker Ivan ManDy, and bloggers Sidney Snoeck, Eric Isaac, Tito Basa among many others out of the heritage house, down Hidalgo Street (which was formerly known as Calle San Sebastian) towards the current Calle San Sebastian where the book launching was going to be held.

The street actually has several American-era houses, among them the Yturralde House, which Butch mentioned was once used as the consulate of Monaco.

Sadly, from a cultural event, it had turned into a campaign rally of the Lord Mayor of Manila. Students from the Unibersidad de Manila were there in full force serving as Lito Atienza's overacting cheering squad. Every time his name was mentioned, or when Atienza referred to the kabataan ng Maynila (youth of Manila) or UDM students in his speech, they would erupt in a choreographed applause and shout out the name of Atienza in chorus. After the program, I found out why they were there: students were scrambling to sign attendance forms! Poor kids, being used for political purposes. It was funny because the real guests, those who would have gone even if they weren't forced to attend, just sat silently every time the group of students would erupt in applause. So who did the mayor's "spin doctors" fool? Definitely not me.

Anyway, I hope that while he is not busy campaigning for his son, the mayor reads the copy of the book which Butch had given him so he would know what real heritage conservation is all about. After I got Butch to sign my book, I left in a rush since I had to catch a family dinner in Libis. Now I’m home preparing for my finals week next week. Time for me to get back to my school work.

Check out my interview on the Philippine Blog Awards in The Four-eyed Journal.

Related articles
New book relives old Quiapo
Enriquez antique mansion goes kaput!

Heritage watch
Palawan wildlife trade: an alarming issue

SSEAYP 2007
Application for SSEAYP 2007 is ongoing. This is open to all Filipino citizens, 18 to 30 years old on April 1, 2007. Download the forms here. Deadline for application is April 30, 2007.

Manila: The Intramuros controversies continue

There's a new controversy in Intramuros. And it's about the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Metro Manila, the San Agustin Church. Do you want to find out what they plan to construct beside Fr. Blanco's Garden? The Manila Times column of Rene Martel says it all. Check out Random Jottings: God and mammon join hands at Intramuros.

There are actually some inaccuracies in the column. The new seminary won't be built in the garden itself. I actually asked Fr. Galende about this via e-mail and he assured me that the new seminary will be built on the original footprint of the former Second Monastery. I think what many people are uncomfortable about is the exterior design since I was told many have opposed it from the very beginning but to no avail. I would have to agree with the observations of Pinoy_ako in the SkyscraperCity Forums.

I am personally not against the construction of a new seminary. In fact, I am for it especially since we want to keep Intramuros alive (the Augustinians are the last order that remain in the walled city). At the same time there used to be a structure where the proposed seminary will built. However, I am also uncomfortable with the exterior design which many argue is not proper for a UNESCO World Heritage Site like San Agustin.

I would be all praises if they built the new seminary as a faithful exterior restoration of the Second Monastery with up-to-date interiors such as that mock-up of the Augustinian Provincialate built just across the street. It would even be great if they can rebuild that bridge which used to connect the two buildings.

On the sports complex issue, it was on the front page of the Manila Times yesterday. Several articles came out:
Ugly side of Tourism Authority revealed
Former PTA heads want Gen. Mgr. Barbers charged
What is behind Barbers’ insistence on this project?

The good news is that Archt. Toti Villalon's column is back! Check out Pride of Place: Monumental Legacy. Don't forget to read my other posts on the Intramuros controversies: Protect the walls of Intramuros! and Inside the walls of Intramuros.

Street food in the Philippines

Just as I was bloghopping, I found this post of Sidney Snoeck on street food which was timely since I had been planning to blog about the street food we ate the past few days. As he puts it, "food is a window into culture." So here is a sampling of some of the tried and tested street food outlets.

When a friend from China arrived, I took him straight to UP Diliman. The best thing to do of course was eat since the UP campus in Diliman is a haven for street food.

We dropped by Mang Larry's isawan in front of the Kalayaan Residence Hall. Since I was a resident there for a year when I was a freshman, I saw that stand everyday. And that's how I became a fan of isaw. Aside from pork barbeque, the selections of grilled chicken and pork innards, collectively referred to as isaw, include isaw baboy (pork intestine), isaw manok (chicken intestine), tenga ng baboy (pig's ears), goto, botsi, atay (chicken liver), balun-balunan (chicken gizzard), and betamax (pig's blood) among others.

There is another isawan that used to be in front of Ilang-ilang Residence Hall but moved to vacant lot beside the UP Law Center. The main difference is in the sauce since Mang Larry has a sweet brown sauce and spicy vinegar while the other is mostly vinegar-based.


Other selections in UP include the sorbetes, taho, lumpia, banana cue, camote cue, cheese sticks, fish balls, squid balls and kikiam among others. Good thing there was a sorbetes vendor nearby and we got some avocado ice cream. For dinner, we had sisig and rice, and a serving of halo-halo at a street food center in Park 9 along Katipunan.

I've been trying to find hawker centers here in the Philippines just like those in Singapore and Malaysia. And the closest thing we've got is Market! Market! in Fort Bonifacio Global City, just along C5. So after our visit to the Manila American Cemetery, we went straight there.

First thing which caught my eye was the Ilocos empanda stand. We had one each but not too much since we were going to Ilocos anyway to savor the real thing in Batac. Then we had tokneneng (battered, deep-fried quail eggs). The stand also sold day-old chicks and quek quek (battered, deep-fried chicken eggs). I think there was also balut and penoy (hard-boiled duck eggs with and without fetus respectively).

Another stand sold street drinks such as sago't gulaman and buko juice. Shawarma may not be Filipino but it has become a popular local snack that has been Filipinized by adding cheese and sometimes, french fries in it. Then there's the puto bumbong ang bibingka, and turon among many more sweet snacks. The selections there are endless which makes it our local version of a hawker center.

Anyway, there's more food as we go up north.

Dictionary of Philippine street food
I could not find a dictionary of Philippine street food online so I'm starting one here. Please add to the list by commenting below. Help me with the descriptions too. Please take note that this list is for food commonly sold in the streets; or else, we'll have endless possibilities.

• Abnoy - unhatched incubated duck egg or bugok which is mixed with flour and water and cooked like pancakes
• Adidas - chicken feet, marinated and grilled or cooked adobo style
• Arroz caldo - rice porridge or congee cooked with chicken and kasubha; see also Lugaw
• Atay - grilled chicken liver
• Baga - pig's or cow's lungs grilled or deep-fried and served with barbeque condiments
• Balat ng manok - see Chicken skin and Chicharon manok
• Balun-balunan - grilled chicken gizzard
• Balut - hard-boiled duck egg with fetus
• Banana cue - deep-fried saba (banana) covered with caramelized brown sugar
• Barbeque - marinated pork or chicken pieces grilled on skewers
• Batchoy - miki noodle soup garnished with pork innards (liver, kidney and heart), chicharon (pork skin cracklings), chicken breast, vegetables and topped with a raw egg; origin traced to La Paz, Iloilo
• Betamax - curdled chicken or pork blood, cubed and grilled
• Bibingka - glutinous rice flour pancakes grilled with charcoal above and below in a special clay pot
• Biko (also Bico) - glutinous rice cake with grated coconut topping
• Binatog - boiled white corn kernels, sugar, grated coconut and milk
• Bopis - minced pig's heart and lungs sauteed with garlic and onion and seasoned with laurel, oregano, bell pepper and vinegar
• Botsi - chicken esophagus, deep-fried or grilled
• Calamares - deep-fried squid in batter
• Calamay (also Kalamay) - glutinous rice cakes; varieties all over the country
• Camote cue - deep-fried camote (sweet potato) covered with caramelized brown sugar
• Carioca (also Karyoka, Karioka) - deep-fried glutinous rice flour cakes served on skewers
• Cheese sticks - deep-fried cheese wrapped in lumpia (spring roll) wrapper
• Chicharon baboy - pork skin cracklings, made from pork rind boiled and seasoned, sun-dried and deep-fried
• Chicharon bituka - pork or chicken intestine boiled, seasoned and deep-fried
• Chicharon bulaklak - pork omentum boiled, seasoned and deep-fried
• Chicharon manok - chicken skin cracklings
• Chicken balls - balls made with chicken meat, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce
• Chicken skin - chicken skin battered and deep fried
• Cutchinta - see Kutsinta
• Day-old chicks - literally day-old chicks deep-fried to a crisp, served with sauce or vinegar
• Empanada (Batac) - pork longganisa, egg and grated green papaya in a rice flour shell, deep-fried and served with vinegar
• Fishballs - balls made with fish meat, most often from pollock, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce
• Goto - rice porridge or congee cooked with beef tripe
• Halo-halo - translated as "a mix of many things" or "an assortment," it is a dessert topped with shaved ice that may contain sweetened saba (banana), camote, macapuno (young coconut), kaong, nata de coco, pinipig (rice crispies), gulaman (agar), sago (tapioca balls), brown and white beans, garbanzos, ube (purple yam), and leche flan (creme brulee), with milk and sugar; Pampanga has three popular versions in Guagua, Arayat and Angeles which may include pastillas, crushed white beans and corn
• Helmet - grilled chicken head
• Hepalog (also Toknonong) - hard-boiled duck eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried
• Isaw - collective term for different types of grilled chicken and pork innards; varieties include isaw manok, isaw baboy, atay, goto, botsi, balun-balunan, and tenga ng baboy
• Isaw baboy - grilled or deep-fried pork intestines on a skewer, served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce
• Isaw manok (aslo IUD) - grilled or deep-fried chicken intestines on a skewer, served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce; also referred to as IUD because it resembles an intra-uterine device
• Iskrambol (also Scrambol) - frostees; shaved ice, diced gulaman, sago and condensed milk
• IUD - see Isaw manok
• Kakanin - collective term for snacks made with kanin (rice), particularly malagkit (glutinous) rice; varieties include puto, kutsinta, calamay, sapin-sapin, suman, palitaw, biko or sinukmani, and espasol among many others
• Kalamay - see Calamay
• Kamote cue - see Camote cue
• Kikiam - the special ones are made of ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets, deep-fried and served with sweet, sour or spicy sauce; those in the street are seafood-based, usually made of fish meat and cuttlefish
• Kudil - deep-fried pork skin
• Kutsinta - steamed bahaw (boiled rice) with lye and brown sugar; has a gelatinous consistency
• Kwek kwek - see Quek quek
• Lomi - noodle soup made with thick fresh egg noodles or lomi
• Longganisa - pork sausage grilled or fried on a skewer
• Lugaw - rice porridge or congee; varieties include arroz caldo (with chicken and kasubha) and goto (with beef tripe)
• Lumpia - spring rolls; varieties include lumpiang basa; lumpiang hubad - fresh spring rolls wothout the wrapper; lumpiang prito; lumpiang sariwa - fresh srping rolls; lumpiang shanghai; lumpiang ubod; and turon
• Mais - boiled sweet corn seasoned with salt, butter or margarine
• Mais con yelo - sweet corn, milk and sugar topped with shaved ice
• Mami - noodle soup
• Manggang hilaw - green mango served with bagoong (shrimp paste)
• Mani - peanuts either boiled, roasted or deep-fried and seasoned with garlic and salt
• Maruya - banana fritters
• Nilupak - mashed kamoteng kahoy (cassava) or kamote (sweet potato) with brown sugar and served with butter or margarine
• Palitaw - glutinous rice flour pancakes topped with grated young coconut, sugar and roasted sesame seeds
• Panara - deep-fried crab and grated green papaya empanda sold in Pampanga during Christmas season
• Pancit - noodles; varieties are batchoy (Iloilo) - see Batchoy; batil patung (Tuguegarao) - local noodles topped with hot dogs, chicharon, ground meat, fried egg, and vegetables; pancit bihon; pancit canton - a kind of pancit guisado flavored with ginger and soy sauce; pancit guisado, pancit habhab (Lucban) - sautéed miki noodles served on and eaten straight from banana leaf sans utensils; pancit lomi - see Lomi; pansit luglog (Pampanga and Tagalog Region) - it has a distinct orange shrimp-achuete sauce and is topped with chicharon, tinapa, wansoy and shrimp; pancit malabon (Malabon) - made with thick rice noodles tossed in shrimp-achuete oil topped with shelled oysters, squid rings, suaje or hipong puti and wansoy; pancit molo (Iloilo) - clear chicken broth with wonton, garlic and crushed chorizo; pancit palabok; pancit puti (Manila); and pancit sotanghon among many others
• Pandesal (also Pan de sal) - breakfast roll; rounded bread
• Pares - translated as "pair," means the pairing of rice with beef; beef pares is characterized by very tender meat, usually with a lot of litid (ligaments)
• Penoy - hard-boiled duck egg without fetus
• Proven - hard portion of chicken entrails that is either marinated and grilled, battered and fried or cooked adobo style
• Pusit - squid grilled on skewer
• Puto - steamed rice cake
• Puto bumbong - purple glutinous rice snack cooked in a special steamer
• Quikiam - see Kikiam
• Quek quek (also Toknanay) - hard boiled chicken eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried; also used for quail eggs but some say the correct term for the quail egg version is tokneneng; the balut version is sometimes referred to as hepalog
• Sapin-sapin - layered glutinous rice and coconut milk cake usually topped with grated coconut and latik (residue from coconut oil extraction); different flavor per layer such as ube (purple yam), macapuno (young coconut), kutsinta and langka (jackfruit)
• Scrambol - see Iskrambol
• Sinukmani - see Biko
• Siomai - steamed pork dumplings
• Siopao - steamed pork buns
• Sisig - roasted pig's head, chicken liver, onions and chili, chopped and flavored with calamansi served on a hot metal plate
• Sorbetes (also Dirty ice cream) - street ice cream made with local fruits and ingredients; common flavors include ube (purple yam), mango, avocado, queso (cheese), chocolate, langka (jackfruit), buko or macapuno (coconut); strawberry is common in Baguio City
• Squid balls - balls made with squid or cuttlefish meat, deep fried and served in skewers with a sweet, sour or spicy sauce
• Suman - glutinous rice snack steamed in banana or coconut leaves; varieties include binagol (Leyte) made with glutinous rice, gabi (taro), coconut milk and chocolate; budbod sa kabog (Tanjay, Negros Oriental) which uses millet instead of glutinous rice; 
• Taho - bean curd snack topped with arnibal (liquefied raw sugar similar to molasses) and sago (tapioca balls)
• Tenga ng baboy (also Walkman) - marinated pig's ears grilled on skewers; see also Kudil
• Toknanay - see Quek quek
• Tokneneng - hard boiled quail eggs dipped in orange batter and deep-fried; also called kwek kwek by others
• Toknonong - see Hepalog
• Tupig (also Itemtem) - glutinous rice, grated mature coconut, coconut milk and molasses rolled in banana leaves and grilled; varieties in Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte (Batac) and Isabela
• Turon - saba (banana) with with sugar and sometimes langka (jackfruit) wrapped in lumpia (spring roll) wrapper and deep-fried
• Walkman - see Tenga ng Baboy

Manila: Manila American Cemetery, a war memorial in Metro Manila

Since we got home quite late yesterday, I decided to go somewhere nearby today. A lot of people do not know that there is an impressive Second World War memorial near Makati Central Business District.

According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, "The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 17,202, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. The headstones are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

"The chapel, a white masonry building enriched with sculpture and mosaic, stands near the center of the cemetery. In front of it on a wide terrace are two large hemicycles. Twenty-five mosaic maps recall the achievements of the American armed forces in the Pacific, China, India and Burma. On rectangular Trani limestone piers within the hemicycles are inscribed the Tablets of the Missing containing 36,285 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Carved in the floors are the seals of the American states and its territories. From the memorial and other points within the cemetery there are impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains."

Designed by Gardener A. Dailey of San Francisco, the cemetery and memorial is located in the Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday except on December 25 and January 1. To read more about the place, download the brochure here.

I hope the Libingan ng mga Bayani was as elegantly designed and lay-outed as this one. The grounds are well-maintained and the grass is perfectly green even during the summer!

Manila: Inside the walls of Intramuros

Since I had been driving around for two straight days, I decided to take it easy today. So aside from waking up late, our destination for the day was just within Metro Manila. I had some business to take care of in the Padre Faura area which was great since Intramuros was just a stone's throw away. Carly, another member of our delegation, met up with us there.

Of course, a must visit is the San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the only church in Intramuros left standing after the Second World War. Indeed, the church is a splendid example of Philippine Baroque with its trompe l'oeil murals. The San Agustin Museum houses some of the best examples of Philippine church treasures. But it looks like the San Agustin Complex will be the next issue in the ongoing Intramuros controversy since they plan to erect a modern-looking monastery! And we all thought that the sports complex was the only desecration we had to worry about in the walled city.

Anyway, after our tour around San Agustin, we walked across the street to Casa Manila, a museum that showcases the opulence of a home in Intramuros during its heyday.

Our last stop was Fort Santiago, another Manila icon which tourists should not miss. Walking around what was once the seat of power of the Pearl of the Orient filled me with a lot of thoughts, especially when you know what we had and how much we lost during the war. Manila was as charming and as elegant as any major European city. And all was lost because of some stupid military tactic that eventually flattened the city to the ground.

That's why it pained me to look at the sports complex behind the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago. I finally saw this monstrosity of a project with my own two eyes. And all I could ponder on was why our government is filled with idiots and dimwits who could even think of perpetuating such a travesty.

Let's keep these walls alive! I'm definitely keeping my eyes on the developments regarding the sports complex and that modern monastery they plan to build in San Agustin. Only a vigilant Philippine nation can prevent more damage to our endagered cultural heritage.

Intramuros updates
Ex-tourism chiefs protest Intramuros construction
Ex-PTA chiefs want Barbers sued for Intramuros project
Former PTA heads demand Barbers’ resignation
Intramuros a warehouse?
PTA’s illegal designs on Intramuros