My Manila

100% Happiness

2012-01-26T04:00:00.036+08:00

I've never bought shoes from TOMS. And it's not because I think they're expensive or I don't like them. Unfortunately for me, the local distributor doesn't carry the women's styles in my size. I like their outdoor shop in TriNoma mall and its colorful mural, but I especially love their One on One Movement: for every pair you buy, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need.

And in case you're wondering about the title, it's what TOMS calls its guarantee. I can guess that that's what the kids feel when they receive their free pair of shoes. After One Day Without Shoes and we get home to clean and rest our cracked and tired feet, I think that's what we'd feel too.

Thumbelina's bouquets

2012-01-25T04:00:00.023+08:00

Since I'm absolutely awful with plant names, it's kind of useless asking me what these flowers are called. Each flower looks like a tiny bouquet of even smaller flowers. When I was much younger, I remember seeing only all-yellow or all-white ones. I like this dual-color variety so much better, and I love how the gardener mixed the baby pink/ fuschia and yellow/orange bushes together.

White and brights

2012-01-24T04:00:00.021+08:00

With just a few more tables outside and in our low-ceilinged corner, tiny Ted P's along Maginhawa Street in Sikatuna Village isn't the most comfortable place to eat in, but it's bright and cheerful, and the only place we know that serves whole-wheat pizza. I swear by their Tina Pizza—tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, garlic and tinapa (smoked fish) flakes. Yummm!

Serenity amidst confusion

2012-01-23T04:00:00.061+08:00

A gazebo over a tiny pond in the Chinese Garden of the Rizal Park.

I was going to wish you all peace, prosperity, success, good health and happiness in this year of the Water Dragon, but I just found out that the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar is not necessarily the same as the first day of the Chinese astrological calendar. The Water Dragon year begins on February 4 and until then, we are still in the Metal Rabbit year. I must say that I find it all terribly confusing. So a simple

Happy Chinese New Year!

has to suffice.

Vision

2012-01-22T04:00:00.001+08:00

In the garden between the Loyola House of Studies and the Loyola School of Theology is a statue of St. Ignatius as a pilgrim beside the Cardoner River, which runs through the town of Manresa in Catalonia, Spain. It was here, between 1522 and 1523, that Ignatius had one of the most profound experiences of his life.

From The Life of St. Ignatius page of the Jesuits of New Orleans Province:

He continued towards Barcelona but stopped along the river Cardoner at a town called Manresa. He stayed in a cave outside the town, intending to linger only a few days, but he remained for ten months. He spent hours each day in prayer and also worked in a hospice. It was while here that the ideas for what are now known as the Spiritual Exercises began to take shape. It was also on the banks of this river that he had a vision which is regarded as the most significant in his life. The vision was more of an enlightenment, about which he later said that he learned more on that one occasion than he did in the rest of his life. Ignatius never revealed exactly what the vision was, but it seems to have been an encounter with God as He really is, so that all creation was seen in a new light and acquired a new meaning and relevance, an experience that enabled Ignatius to find God in all things. This grace, finding God in all things, is one of the central characteristics of Jesuit spirituality.

Spotlight

2012-01-21T04:00:00.002+08:00

…on my favorite flower: white lilies.

Sweet dreams

2012-01-20T04:00:00.013+08:00

One shark soundly and peacefully asleep amidst the frenzy of activity of its fellows. At the Manila Ocean Park.

Street walker

2012-01-19T04:00:00.040+08:00

When sightseeing, nothing beats walking around if you want to see details and get to know a place well. It's even better when you have a knowledgeable guide with a gazillion stories. Meet Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks, one of several outfits that offer walking tours of Manila. He specializes in five areas: the Spanish-era walled city of Intramuros; San Miguel, where Malacañang Palace is located; Binondo, Manila's Chinatown; the Chinese Cemetery, with its flamboyant funerary architecture; and the campus of the Far Eastern University, with its Art Deco architecture. I really need to schedule more walks with him. If you ever visit Manila, I suggest you do too.

Pink

2012-01-18T04:00:00.008+08:00

Pink Patio is a Chinese restaurant in Binondo, Manila. The food is good but the furniture is nondescript and not particularly comfortable, but I do love the atrium in the middle of the building (even when the sky is overcast). The atrium and the building's pink paint give the place its name.

In case anyone has heard of it and is wondering, the beach resort with the same name on the island of Boracay is owned by the same family, although the restaurant is the original Pink Patio. The resort's name has been changed already, though, and is now called Patio Pacific Boracay.

And one

2012-01-17T04:00:00.018+08:00

I almost didn't notice that yesterday was my 1,000th post! So, just for the fun of it, I now mark my 1,001st post with the silver sphere on top of the Philippines' Kilometer Zero marker—with my reflection on it. The girl in yellow behind me is my cousin taking a photo of me taking a photo.

New generation

2012-01-16T04:00:00.135+08:00

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP, Central Bank of the Philippines) released the redesigned Philippine Peso (PHP) bills on December 16, 2010. Compared with the older bills, the colors of this set are more vibrant and the numerals more prominent, making them easier to identify for tourists and visitors, and the design is also more consistent from one denomination to the next. Each bill features prominent historical Filipinos flanked by two images of objects, events or places which are also of historical importance to the country. I had to borrow the three larger denominations for this photo—they're not widely circulated yet; the government estimates that it will take three years for all the bills to be changed.

For those who are interested, here is the complete description of the bills, with links to Wikipedia for those who want even more information:

1000 - blue; Jose Abad Santos, Vicente Lim, Josefa Llanes Escoda; Centennial of Philippine Independence; Medal of Honor

500 - yellow; Corazon C. Aquino, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr.; EDSA People Power February 1986; Benigno S. Aquino Monument

200 - green; Diosdado P. Macapagal; EDSA People Power January 2001; Aguinaldo Shrine; Barasoain Church

100 - violet; Manuel A. Roxas; Central Bank of the Philippines 1949; Inauguration of the Third Republic July 1946

50 - red; Sergio Osmeña; First National Assembly 1907; Leyte Landing

20 - orange; Manuel L. Quezon; Filipino as the National Language 1935; Malacañan Palace

A light in the dark

2012-01-15T04:00:00.012+08:00

This crucifix stands beside the main road inside the Ateneo de Manila University at the corner of the smaller road leading to the Jesuit Residence. It is easy to miss during the day because it blends into the surrounding trees, but a small spotlight illumines it at night.

Balls

2012-01-14T04:00:00.011+08:00

I guess it shouldn't be surprising that a café located inside a sports center would have a wall painted with all sorts of balls. At Café Azul at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center.

River access

2012-01-13T04:00:00.030+08:00

A tunnel and stairs provide access from the top of the thick walls of Fort Santiago to the banks of the Pasig River. They would have been convenient for the soldiers of the Spanish colonial era. Nowadays, a locked gate keeps trespassers out of the historic fortification.

Leading nowhere

2012-01-12T04:00:00.011+08:00

I've always wondered about these white steps on Temple Drive in Quezon City. They just lead to an empty lot, which you can't walk through anyway because it's fenced in.

Gentle

2012-01-11T04:00:00.006+08:00

The stepped water feature around the Ateneo de Manila University's Rizal Library.

Hole-y

2012-01-10T04:00:00.003+08:00

I guess this vase isn't meant to hold water and fresh flowers.

Chalkboard

2012-01-09T04:00:00.023+08:00

An illustration of prehistoric man and animals on a wall at the Museum of the Filipino People helps children—and adults—make sense of fossils.

Two hearts

2012-01-08T04:00:00.016+08:00

It is not unusual to find religious tiles on the walls of houses in Manila representing the particular devotion of the family living within. This tile shows a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

From neoclassical to funky

2012-01-07T04:00:00.055+08:00

Jones Bridge is one of several bridges across the Pasig River that connects the district of Binondo to the rest of the City of Manila. The original bridge was built by the American colonial government but was destroyed during WWII. It was neoclassical in design and its entrances were flanked by pillars topped with statues, one of which happens to be La Madre Filipina in Rizal Park, a photo of which I posted back in February 2011 without knowing its history. The replacement bridge was and is much simpler and retains its original name, after Virginia representative William Atkinson Jones who authored the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916. The city has tried to improve the current bridge in an effort to replicate the grace of the original, but I'm really not sure those street lamps cut it.

Modern 19th century

2012-01-06T04:00:00.036+08:00

Crisostomo at Eastwood Mall specializes in Filipino cuisine, specifically Spanish-influenced dishes that could be found on the dining tables of Manileños at the turn of the 19th century. But in a very modern setting. The illustrations on the walls feature clothes worn by various classes of Filipinos at the time, drawn on back-lit glass.

Soon

2012-01-05T04:00:00.024+08:00

Back in May 2009, I posted a photo of this enormous building that has stood unfinished for ages at the back of Quezon City Hall. I still don't know anything about its original owners or what happened, but it has finally been bought by Suntrust Properties and will become a residential condominium building named Capitol Plaza. I just hope that the new developer is making sure that the structure is still stable before they begin finishing it.

Home in a hotel

2012-01-04T04:00:00.003+08:00

If you ever plan on visiting Manila, a good place to stay is The Linden Suites at the Ortigas Center, which is roughly in the middle of the metro. The one- to three-bedroom suites are particularly spacious, each have a living room, dining room and galley kitchen—all for the price of a standard room in a five-star hotel. And if you're visiting for a week or more, the hotel also offers discounts for long-staying guests. Opt for a package without daily breakfast, however; it's nothing special, and with the myriad cafés and restaurants in the area, you won't need it.

Christmas treats

2012-01-03T04:00:00.022+08:00

For many years now, my husband and I have made it our custom to go shopping for clothes and shoes for ourselves between Christmas and New Year, when almost everything is on sale. Of course, the Christmas decorations in the malls and shops are still up, and will only be removed after the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Roman Catholic Christmas season ends. This sweetly delicious scene is at the Shangri-La Plaza mall.

Countdown

2012-01-02T04:00:00.017+08:00

Fireworks and firecrackers are not illegal in the Philippines, so anyone who cares to and who can afford them can set them off to celebrate the coming of the new year. Small bursts of fireworks were already going off all over Pasig City, and the rest of Metro Manila, half an hour before midnight on New Year's Eve.

Shower

2012-01-01T04:00:00.002+08:00

THEME DAY: PHOTO OF THE YEAR 2011 • Since I stopped blogging and taking photos for much of the past year, this choice was easy. I love it when I manage challenging shots like this—the light, the distance, the symmetry, having to look straight up, no tripod—with my itsy-bitsy camera. The original post is here.

See the best of City Daily Photo bloggers around the world. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

May you be showered with blessings today and throughout the new year.

Simple blessings

2011-12-31T01:00:00.055+08:00

Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) grows in our garden all year round with absolutely no effort on our part. White is more common but we get pink ones like this every now and then.

Wishing you all a beautiful and peaceful 2012.

Value

2011-12-30T01:00:00.025+08:00

Colorful coin purses made of handwoven fabric from the Bicol Region. Selling in the streets of Manila for six pieces for one hundred pesos—about 38 U.S. cents per piece, or less than five dollars for the dozen in this picture.

Solo act

2011-12-29T01:00:00.003+08:00

At the Ortigas Park.

Baroque

2011-12-28T01:00:00.022+08:00

The ornate mirror, ceiling and angel sconces at Café Ysabel in the City of San Juan. Unfortunately, the effect is a bit marred for me by the presence of the flanking speakers and large airconditioning units.

Not under

2011-12-27T01:00:00.021+08:00

Instead of a gadget that can fit in your pocket, how about a Christmas gift that can fit you inside it? The Christmas tree itself will fit inside some of them.

At the Quezon Avenue showroom of Honda Cars Philippines.

For your white and blue

2011-12-26T01:00:00.011+08:00

Blue and white parol hanging from the cupola of the Ateneo Church of the Gesù. The title is a line from the alma mater song of the Ateneo de Manila University, whose school color is blue.

O holy night!

2011-12-25T01:00:00.025+08:00

The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
~John Sullivan Dwight

May your homes shine with the light of the Star of Bethlehem and your hearts be filled with the joy that the birth of our Savior brings.

Christmas Blessings

Exie & Hilda

Arbor

2011-12-24T01:00:00.012+08:00

The belen, or nativity scene, in the Ateneo Church of the Gesù. It looks like Jesus will be born in the woods this year.

Under the Christmas tree

2011-12-23T01:00:00.042+08:00

A new toy for Christmas, anyone?

Liteware Computers is an authorized Apple seller and service center, and is housed in two small converted apartment units along Kamias Road in Quezon City—a rather noisy and dingy area full of tiny shops selling hardware and automotive supplies. However, it offers some of the best prices for Apple products in Metro Manila. I guess their overhead costs are not as high as those big and fancy Apple stores located in high-end shopping centers.

The carol of the winds

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000+08:00

Simbang Gabi (night mass) or Misa de Gallo (Spanish, which literally translates to rooster's mass and means dawn mass), is a traditional novena of masses before Christmas that many Filipino Catholics practice. Among Catholics, a novena is a nine-day devotion to obtain special graces. Simbang Gabi at the Ateneo Church of the Gesù started on December 15 with a performance of Filipino and foreign Christmas carols by the Banda Zabat brass band a few hours before the evening mass. Banda Zapat comes from Gapan City in the province of Nueva Ecija, 92 kilometers away.

A most welcoming host

2011-12-21T01:00:00.009+08:00

I like how some people grow plants on the branches of trees. The trees don't seem to suffer for the presence of their guests and the variety of leaf shapes make everything even more interesting. Just don't ask me what tree or plants they are, okay? :)

Silver snakes

2011-12-20T01:00:00.014+08:00

It took me some time to realize what these silver tubes hanging from the ceiling of Ye Dang Korean BBQ Restaurant were. I'd never seen extensible exhaust tubes before. Necessary in a restaurant where the barbecue is grilled at your table.

Sun and rain

2011-12-19T01:00:00.091+08:00

I guess this photo is a good summary of the kind of weather we have in the Philippines—sun and rain, that's it. It's just a matter of degree.

The Mindanao cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, and smaller towns around them, have been devastated by floods caused by Typhoon Sendong (international code: Washi) and the death toll is now more than 500. If you can spare a little, please help the 8000 families who have been affected by the floods. The most convenient way to donate is online through the Philippine Red Cross' website but if you want to know about other options, please leave a comment and I will try to give you more information. Thank you.

For the greater glory of God

2011-12-18T01:00:00.018+08:00

The Loyola House of Studies is the home of Philippine Jesuits-in-training (through their Juniorate, Philosophy, Theology, and Tertianship years), and their faculty and formators. This iconic facade of the building, which was built in 1965, overlooks the Marikina Valley.

欢迎 | Welcome

2011-12-17T01:00:00.012+08:00

The arch over the entrance to the Chinese Garden of the Rizal Park. If anyone knows what those four characters mean, I'd appreciate a little language lesson.

A chili Christmas

2011-12-16T01:00:00.004+08:00

Mexicali Restaurant's chilies are all dressed up for Christmas, but they're as lazy as ever.

Tiny cheeseburger

2011-12-15T01:00:00.010+08:00

The Goose Station's playful French macaroon (bun) with chocolate ganache (patty), candied fruit (cheese) and mint (lettuce).

Hidden in plain sight

2011-12-14T01:00:00.055+08:00

Because of the district's hustle and bustle, and the inadequacy of Philippine rules about building signs, it is easy to miss the pre-war architectural gems of Binondo, Manila's Chinatown. The Uy-Chaco Building, which houses the Binondo branch of Philtrust Bank, stands right behind the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch. I've featured the arch in the past, but it wasn't until several years later—and a relatively long wait for the people I was meeting with—that I noticed the building. Information about it on the web is contradictory; it was either built in 1914 and designed by Samuel C. Rowell or built in 1930 and designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro.

Artistic traditions

2011-12-13T01:00:00.015+08:00

The museum of the Cultural Center of the Philippines has a permanent exhibit showcasing traditional Asian musical instruments.

Lord of all he surveys

2011-12-12T01:00:00.003+08:00

To stay together

2011-12-11T01:00:00.021+08:00

A rosary made up of Christmas parol surrounds a Filipino family praying together in a nipa hut, at the lawn in front of the East Asian Pastoral Institute.

Death by trampling

2011-12-10T01:00:00.011+08:00

The wooden relief at the top of the 16th century main entrance of Fort Santiago in Intramuros depicts four natives being trampled under the hooves of a Spanish conquistador's horse.

There must be a better way

2011-12-09T01:00:00.004+08:00

…to cool a medium-sized building than this.

Upper-middle

2011-12-08T07:15:00.000+08:00

Modern, upper-middle class houses in Quezon City typically stand on 200 to 300 square meter lots with hardly any room for a garden.

U

2011-12-07T01:00:00.031+08:00

In an effort to ease the flow of the metro's badly congested traffic, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) decided to close off most national roads' intersections and put U-turn slots instead. Their positioning are trial-and-error experiments, so the MMDA has to use non-permanent and moveable road barriers. Looks like someone tried making a U-turn from an outer lane and is being issued a ticket.

After the party

2011-12-06T01:00:00.014+08:00

Ateneo de Manila University's school color is blue and the Class of 1986 graduated right after the People Power Revolution, hence the name of this year's grand alumni homecoming: RE BLUE TION.

A rainy Sunday in December

2011-12-05T01:00:00.012+08:00

When you just want to stay in bed the whole day.

Portugal, Italy, Philippines

2011-12-04T01:00:00.001+08:00

Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati City, is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, a Portuguese Franciscan friar who died in Italy.

Burberry

2011-12-03T01:00:00.018+08:00

No taxi driver in the Philippines can ever afford a real Burberry jacket on what they earn.

Black on silver

2011-12-02T01:00:00.030+08:00

At the party celebrating the silver anniversary of Ateneo de Manila College Class of 1986, professional photographer David Fabros—a member of the class—took portraits of lucky early blackbirds gratis.

And life goes on

2011-12-01T01:00:00.038+08:00

A typical scene near major public transportation hubs in Metro Manila, with jeepneys, vendors, graffiti and glued-on announcements on footbridge pillars, thick and tangled utility cables, and people texting.

Farewell

2011-06-20T06:00:00.056+08:00

Of all the mementos and historical artifacts in the "Rizal in Ateneo, Ateneo in Rizal" exhibit (see yesterday's post), this small, unassuming alcohol burner caught my fancy the most. The day before his execution on December 30, 1896, Jose Rizal was visited in prison by his mother, sisters and nephews and he whispered to his sister Trinidad that there was something hidden inside the burner. When it was given to his family, they discovered a folded piece of paper on which a poem was handwritten by Rizal. Untitled and unsigned, it is known popularly as "Mi Ultimo Adios" (My Last Farewell). The images in the background are of a replica of Rizal's prison cell inside the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago, Intramuros. The alcohol burner is on loan to the Ateneo Art Gallery from the family of Estanislao Herbosa, a nephew of Jose Rizal from his sister Lucia.

For those interested in reading the poem, here are a few links:

Happy birthday, Pepe

2011-06-19T06:00:00.065+08:00

Today is the 150th birth anniversary of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal, and Filipinos all over the world are celebrating it, not just today but throughout the year. Rizal studied in the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, which is now the Ateneo de Manila University, and the school will be commemorating his life and works with exhibits, lectures, books and performances until December. These activities were launched last Friday with the opening of the "Rizal in Ateneo, Ateneo in Rizal" exhibit at the Ateneo Art Gallery curated by foremost Rizal scholar and historian Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo. This 1930 bust of Jose Rizal at the entrance of the exhibit is by Philippine National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino and the background is an image of the ornate entrance of the old Ateneo in Intramuros.

The best medicine

2011-06-17T06:00:00.068+08:00

PETA Theater's "Care Divas" ran from February to March of this year, but it proved to be so popular, it extended to April and is being performed again this June and July. It is a musical comedy about five transvestite Filipino overseas workers in Israel at the time of the Intifada (not specified, but I assume it was the second). During the day, they are caregivers for elderly Jews, but at night, they metamorphose into fully made-up, high-heeled drag queen club singers. The themes that the play explores include migration, homelessness, relationships, alienation and identity—in the most melodramatic, outrageous, hilarious, loud and bittersweet manner. Just the way most Filipinos like their storytelling.

This was the scene at the theater lobby after the play. It was the first time I saw theater actors here mobbed like they were rock stars!

Food trip

2011-06-16T06:00:00.160+08:00

My last post about our short vacation in Baguio City is about the one thing that many Filipinos consider essential to a good vacation, wherever it may be: food. And Baguio has a plethora of places to eat, from tiny eateries along busy roads to elegant and romantic restaurants, any of which might offer regional or international cuisine. So here are some of the places where we ate; but no photos of the food—fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view. :)

Our room at Casa Vallejo came with breakfast for two at their Hill Station restaurant everyday. We just had to have dinner there once too; their specialty dishes are all slow-cooked.

PNKY Travel Café is owned by a family that loves to travel. The menu is very international but the recipes have all been tweaked to take advantage of Baguio's wonderfully fresh vegetables and fruits.

Forest House Bistro and Café: warm interiors, elegant place settings, a beautiful mountain view, and absolutely gorgeous salads.

There is nothing fancy about Vizco's Restaurant and Cake Shop, which is located on Session Road, Baguio's central and busiest thoroughfare. Just good, solid and inexpensive pasta and pizza, and lots of cakes. The restaurant itself is small, but they seem to be one of the most popular caterers in the city.

The dishes of Café by the Ruins are chosen to feature some of the best natural ingredients of the region but that does not necessarily mean that the recipes themselves are regional, though some are. It also has a lot of vegetarian options, which I think has to do with the fact that many of its regular clientele are artists and writers.

Oh, the indignity!

2011-06-15T06:00:00.014+08:00

Early one morning in the little plaza in front of the Baguio City branch of Barrio Fiesta restaurant.

Big tent

2011-06-14T06:00:00.017+08:00

Not that we approve of it, but my friends and I agree that their mall in Baguio City must be the best-looking of all the SM malls that we've seen. The ones in Metro Manila (and in most other Philippine cities) look like gigantic concrete bunkers with a little glass thrown in. We figure it's all because of the full-length balcony and the tent-like roof.

Mountain life

2011-06-13T06:00:00.028+08:00

Tam-awan Village in Baguio City is a replica of small Igorot village for people who have not and cannot travel into the interior of the Cordillera mountains.

Some of the huts in Tam-awan Village are not reconstructions though. A few are original Ifugao and Kalinga huts from the 1920s and 1950s which were transported and reconstructed on the site. In keeping with the beliefs of the Cordillera tribes, at least one bulol (rice god—see previous post) guards each of the huts.

The terrain of the lot where Tam-awan Village is located is also faithful to the mountainous locations of Cordillera tribal villages; so is its layout, which means walking up and down narrow mud and stone trails to get from one hut to another. Even with the support provided by intermittent bamboo rails, it is not easy when it has just rained and the short but steep trails are slippery.

Tam-awan Village has also become a center for contemporary Cordillera art, with exhibits all year round and art workshops which, like the village, help foster an understanding and appreciation of the Cordillera culture and heritage. A few of the huts are used as galleries and many artwork are also displayed in the café.

I liked many of the artwork displayed in Tam-awan Village's galleries, but what really caught my eye were these two moss-covered stone bulol in front of the café. I especially like the fertility goddess with a plant growing on her head.

Inculturation | Interpretation

2011-06-09T05:00:00.070+08:00

The BenCab Museum just outside Baguio City is a treasure trove of sculptures and carved functional objects from the tribes who call the Cordillera mountains home, and of Filipino contemporary art, many of which feature traditional symbols and elements from those same tribes, which are collectively called the Igorot. One of the most prevalent and powerful symbols among the objects and artwork in the museum is that of the bulol, the rice gods. Despite the difficulties that the highland terrain impose, the lives of the Cordillera communities center around rice cultivation (five of the region's 2000-year-old rice terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Rituals and sacrifices to the bulol were made to ensure abundant harvests and protection from natural calamities. The antique hardwood bench below has two bulol carved on the backrest. The artwork displayed above it is Leonard Aguinaldo's "Bulol Mandala" (rubbercut, 2002, 91 x 91 cm).

Artist's paradise

2011-06-07T07:30:00.003+08:00

Philippine National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto Cabrera, BenCab, settled in Baguio City in 1986 after living in London since 1969. His current home and studio is located a few kilometers away from the city, in the town of Tuba.

Beside his home is the BenCab Museum, a repository of the artist's varied collections, with one floor dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art by emerging Filipino artists.

BenCab's house and museum are located on the slopes of a ridge, at the bottom of which is a rocky stream, which he has harnessed to naturally water his garden and organic farm, and even to create a pond. Benguet's elevation, the stream and the ridge collude to create a perpetual fog in the area, and the sound of running water is the perfect background for an artist creating and a mortal appreciating.

Baguio redux

2011-06-06T06:00:00.078+08:00

It has been three years since my husband and I went up to Baguio City. Located in the Cordillera mountain range, it is known as the Philippines' summer capital because the American colonial government would move there during the summer months to escape Manila's heat. Casa Vallejo was Baguio's first hotel, though originally built as a dormitory for government workers. It survived Japanese bombing during WWII and the devastating 1990 earthquake, and after laying in disrepair for many years, it was finally restored and reborn as a boutique hotel—with a restaurant, bookshop and spa—last year.

The main reason for the vacation was our 15th wedding anniversary on June 1. One of my husband's former students, who lives a few kilometers away in the town of La Trinidad, sent us a beautiful bouquet of roses and lilies which I arranged in a vase I borrowed from the hotel, wrapping it in the sinamay (woven abaca fibers) and ribbon that the flowers came in. They brightened up our room wonderfully and made our stay even more special. Thank you, Sari.

Open steps

2011-06-05T06:00:00.001+08:00

If I studied in either Ateneo de Manila University or Miriam College and had to cross this footbridge everyday, I would never wear a skirt!

Bridges around the world: Sunday Bridges

Colonial

2011-06-04T06:00:00.016+08:00

The lampposts at the Rizal Park have two decorations which are reminders of our colonial past: the kalesa of the Spanish era…

and the eagle of the American era.

Empty cups

2011-06-03T06:00:00.009+08:00

Inside the Eastwood Mall branch of my favorite Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. We were the only ones without laptops.

Light show

2011-06-02T06:00:00.020+08:00

The building across Eastwood Mall—which looks to be specially made for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies if the staff dining areas in the round tower are any indication—has multi-colored lights running horizontally across its entire facade.

Land under construction

2011-06-01T06:00:00.035+08:00

THEME DAY: UNDER CONSTRUCTION • The Cultural Center of the Philippines (including Sofitel Manila and Harbour Square which are in the same complex), SM Mall of Asia (currently the 4th largest mall in the world), and many of the luxury residential condominium buildings in Pasay City with fantastic views of Manila Bay and its gorgeous sunsets, all stand on land reclaimed from the sea. And it looks as if the sea is still trying to get some of it back.

What is man constructing all over the world? Let City Daily Photo bloggers show you. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Modern Maria Clara

2011-05-31T06:00:00.024+08:00

Since I mentioned Spanish colonial era clothes yesterday, here is another modern interpretation of the Maria Clara—a style of women's dress now considered formalwear named after the fiancé of the main protagonist of Jose Rizal's novel "Noli Me Tangere." Maria Clara would have loved the elaborate lace and pattern, but I doubt if she would have been comfortable with Eddie Castro's slim fit and starkly graphic colors.

Mixed up eras

2011-05-30T06:00:00.023+08:00

The mural of a jeepney, an invention after the Philippine-American war, on the wall of the park fronting the Quirino Grandstand has Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal as the driver, and men and women in Spanish colonial era clothes as the passengers. I am sure that they represent other historical figures of the Philippine Revolution, but I wasn't able to get close enough to see.

The worker

2011-05-29T06:00:00.003+08:00

Saint Joseph, the carpenter, the worker and the earthly father of Jesus, lends his name to San Jose Major Seminary, a diocesan seminary located inside the Loyola Heights campus of Ateneo de Manila University. It is under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao but many of its teachers are Jesuits.

Green on green

2011-05-28T06:00:00.019+08:00

The open-air pavilion beside the pond in Rizal Park's Chinese Garden.

See what's reflecting what at James' Weekend Reflections.

Heart's beat

2011-05-27T06:00:00.041+08:00

Kontra-GaPi, short for Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Contemporary Filipino Gamelan), is the University of the Philippines' resident ethnic music and dance ensemble. I am always happy to see young ones taking an interest in preserving our cultural heritage, whatever the form and whatever the influence. Gamelan music also happens to be one of the few musical genres that will get me running out of my office no matter how busy I am.

Crunch, crunch

2011-05-26T06:00:00.052+08:00

Tokwa is what we call firm tofu, and when I was a child, it was the only kind of tofu that I knew. Because of its firmness, it can be fried without it crumbling. Pino Resto Bar's vegetarian Tokwa't Tokwa (Tokwa't Baboy is tokwa and pork, which is popular as bar chow in Manila) is exceptionally crunchy and served with fried rice, a leaf of pechay, chili mayo, and a dipping sauce made of soy sauce and vinegar into which you can squeeze the calamansi and add the onion bits.

Third

2011-05-25T06:00:00.042+08:00

The son of Francisco Ortigas (Don Paco), Francisco Jr. (Don Paquito), was the president of Ortigas and Company from 1935 to 1998, and it was he who led the development of Hacienda de Mandaloyon into what is now some of the busiest areas of the cities of Pasig, San Juan, Mandaluyong and Quezon. Don Paquito's son Rafael also became a president of the company and he established its corporate social responsibility arm, the Ortigas Foundation. I couldn't find anything about him, but I assume that the third person in this third relief at the Ortigas Park, Joaquin Ramirez, was also a president of Ortigas and Company.

Limited partnership

2011-05-24T06:00:00.027+08:00

The company that developed Hacienda de Mandaloyon (see yesterday's post) into what is now Greenhills and Ortigas Center was incorporated as a limited partnership named Ortigas, Madrigal y cia., S. en C. (sociedad comanditaria por acciones) in 1931. There were several changes in the partnership between the 1920 sale and its incorporation, and in 1931, the company's partners were Francisco Ortigas, Vicente Madrigal, B.C.M. Johnston, Fulgencio Borromeo, Clyde A. Dewitt and Manuel L. Quezon.

Hacienda

2011-05-23T06:00:00.037+08:00

The commercial, residential and shopping complexes that are now Greenhills and Ortigas Center, which straddle four cities in Metro Manila, began as part of the estate of the Augustinian Order in the Philippines. The religious order sold 4,033 hectares to a group of prominent Spanish-Filipino businessmen in 1920 who called it Hacienda de Mandaloyon (or Mandaloyong). This relief map of the origins of the area—and the history of the company that founded it—is in the tiny Ortigas Park.

New life?

2011-05-22T06:00:00.023+08:00

According to its website, the architecture of the five-story Ascension Columbary in Quezon City is supposed to "suggest a heavenly ascent due to its unique form patterned after a Bishop's miter." When we asked for directions to the place, however, people in the neighborhood told us "yung mukhang itlog" (the one that looks like an egg). To the man on the street—and this blogger on the sidewalk—it does look like an egg, one with a vertical crack down its middle.

Guardians

2011-05-21T06:00:00.055+08:00

Two buffaloes flank the steps leading to the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park. The carabao (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis), with its long curved horns, is a domesticated water buffalo native to Southeast Asia. It is a precious farm animal, used to pull plows and carts. It is also a source of milk (which I find milder and more delicious than cow's milk) and—rarely, because of its much-needed help in farms—meat.

The tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis), with its V-shaped horns, is the only bovine endemic to the Philippines, and is found only in the island of Mindoro. In the century since Mindoro was first settled, the tamaraw population in the island has been reduced drastically, and it is now classified in the IUCN Red List as critically endangered.

See-through

2011-05-20T06:00:00.024+08:00

I've never eaten at Uncle Cheffy, which apparently specializes in brick oven cooking. This is their branch at Burgos Circle in Bonifacio Global City (also known as BGC or The Fort). I just like the transparent awning.

The Titanic

2011-05-19T06:00:00.025+08:00

That's the nickname given by the students and faculty of the Ateneo Professional Schools to the diamond-shaped bridges crossing the central atrium of the Rockwell Campus building. They do look a bit like a ship's prow, especially from the fourth floor lobby.

Mind the gap

2011-05-18T06:00:00.023+08:00

Not all of the kalesas remaining in Metro Manila are for tourist use only. Some districts of the City of Manila still allow them as public transportation, most notably in Binondo, Manila's Chinatown. In fact, one must take care when walking in its streets—look where you're stepping!

Unfortunately, just like our people, the horses also suffer terribly from the effects of poverty.

MMMoody

2011-05-17T06:00:00.035+08:00

Bukal ng Tipan is situated on a hilltop (Maryhill) and has commanding views of the towns of Rizal Province and the cities of Metro Manila (MM). From this height, the skyscrapers of the cities of Pasig, Makati and Taguig suddenly look quite puny.

With the backlighting provided by a setting sun, one can even see the skyscrapers of distant Manila and Pasay cities.

Our weather has been really strange, with strong rains—and even a typhoon, Bebeng (Aere)—in the middle of what is supposed to be our summer. Combined with Metro Manila's air pollution, one can hardly see the metro during an overcast day.

Renewal

2011-05-16T06:00:00.048+08:00

Our three-day spiritual retreat this year was held at Bukal ng Tipan (literally, bukal means "spring" and tipan means "meeting" and the sense of the phrase is "wellspring of community"), a retreat house and spirituality center in the town of Taytay in Rizal province run by the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM, Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary).

The most striking feature of the building is its glass-enclosed spiral staircase with four story-high posts hung with capiz shell lanterns.

More than the building, however, the true gift of Bukal ng Tipan is its profusion of trees and plants, with this magnificent acacia tree dominating the center of the garden.

Blue glow

2011-05-15T06:00:00.015+08:00

The Picadilly Star Corporate Center, a 26-story office building in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), isn't particularly eye-catching during the day, but it is at night, especially when one is looking up.

On the wall

2011-05-14T06:00:00.010+08:00

The Spanish era walls of Intramuros are wide enough in certain areas to accommodate a simple stage for public cultural presentations organized by the Intramuros Administration.

Hold on for dear life

2011-05-13T06:00:00.026+08:00

Several years ago, Metro Manila's traffic enforcers were told to be strict against people hanging on to the back of jeepneys, what we call "sabit." But with cops no longer enforcing that rule (I'm not even sure if it was a law or not), commuters are back to their old ways. And no, not all the sabit you will see in our streets are getting a free ride; most of them actually pay the fare.

This was taken through the windshield of our car, so I apologize for the reflections which make the picture look fuzzy.

Loyal to Loyola

2011-05-12T06:00:00.037+08:00

Working as I do at the Ateneo de Manila University, this was one photo opportunity that I couldn't pass up. The Jesuits in the Philippines used to have an elementary and high school in San Pablo City named Ateneo de San Pablo. They closed it in 1978, turned it over to the Diocese of San Pablo, and the new diocesan school was named Liceo de San Pablo. The now homeless Ateneo de San Pablo alumni set up a foundation which, in 2006, opened the doors of a new private school named Academia de San Ignacio de Loyola. If I'm not mistaken, the animal on their shield is one of the wolves of the Loyola coat-of-arms.

The lake caused by selfishness

2011-05-11T06:00:00.070+08:00

While most of our officemates slept off our delicious lunch back at Casa San Pablo, four of us decided to go on a drive around Lake Sampaloc (Tamarind). Though it is only one square kilometer, it is the largest of the seven interconnected freshwater crater lakes of San Pablo and is located right in the heart of the city.

Mount Banahaw looms over one side of the lake and there are many smaller hills all around it.

With overcrowded fish pens studding the lake, the overuse of commercial fish feed, and numerous makeshift huts without proper waste disposal systems on stilts along its shores, Lake Sampaloc is considered threatened and needs rehabilitation. The Friends of the Seven Lakes Foundation is working towards that and educating the communities around the lake, but I think that the city government of San Pablo also has to be stricter in implementing environmental and building laws in the areas around the lakes.

In case you're wondering about my title, it is based on the Legend of Lake Sampaloc.

Charm

2011-05-10T06:00:00.050+08:00

Aside from Mrs. Vinya Gomez Alcantara, what I found most charming about Casa San Pablo were the sculptures and antique furniture and knick-knacks found in, out and about the guest rooms and cottages.

Charcoal clothes irons used as banisters.

A serenely smiling sun greets visitors near the entrance.

A fish on a balcony facing the path to the swimming pool.

A young boy starting to fall asleep on a bench. Whoever the artist was, I think he captured well our experience of Casa San Pablo.

R&R

2011-05-09T06:00:00.057+08:00

Welcome to Casa San Pablo, a garden resort in San Pablo City in the province of Laguna, where our office had its annual R&R last Friday.

Before WWII, it was a 7-hectare coconut plantation owned by the Azores-Gomez family. After it was divided among the six siblings, one daughter cut down all the coconut trees in her land and planted fruit and pine trees in their stead. Now, her son runs a small but lovely resort and artists' haven on the same land.

Vinya Gomez Alcantara, now in her 80s—and the funniest, most charming and life-loving widow I have ever met—still lives in the same compound where she grew up, in a gorgeous house just across the lawn from the guest cottages.

The first cross

2011-05-08T06:00:00.022+08:00

The "Planting of the First Cross" by Philippine National Artist for Painting Vicente S. Manansala (b. 22 January 1910, d. 22 August 1981) is a cherished part of the National Museum's visual arts collection. From the museum's notes:

Ferdinand Magellan

pintados.

Cebu City

cubism

Wheel of life

2011-05-07T06:00:00.019+08:00

The colorful, playful, paper cut-out style artwork in the second floor lobby of the Philippine Educational Theater Association's PETA-PHINMA Theater provides a whimsical contrast to the equally colorful but much more serious mural on its ground floor.

Roar!

2011-05-06T06:00:00.015+08:00

The dinosaur playground at the Rizal Park. It is at the side of the park nearest Taft Avenue (named after William Howard Taft) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 1.

Asong Pinoy

2011-05-05T06:00:00.003+08:00

A new sculpture in the plaza of Eastwood Mall pays tribute to the Aspin, short for Asong Pinoy or Filipino Dog. The Philippine native dog was called Askal—Asong Kalye or Street Dog—until the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) decided to take up its cause more aggressively, which required a special public relations campaign and a new, more socially acceptable name for this short-haired, medium-sized hunting dog. The plaque on the base reads:

Silent Companion

By Seb Chua

In honor of the "Aspin", the Filipino dog… Companion, playmate, protector, friend

Without words, Beyond words…

Living in his own homeland, yet often homeless.

Seen everywhere, yet overlooked,

Voiceless and invisible.

The Aspin dreams of the day he will find a safe, loving home.

He looks up to a human, and hopes for humanity.

Will they see him and speak for him?

To all who give voice to the Aspin,

Who have called his name and welcomed him into their family,

Share in this quiet tribute.

New beginnings, part 3

2011-05-04T06:00:00.013+08:00

Let there be lights in the vault of heaven. The central chandelier at the new Commonwealth branch of the Loyola Memorial Chapels, where the wake of the mother of one of my dearest friends was held.