Safety net

"Every act of construction is an act of destruction."

~Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), Spanish artist

Yet another building is being constructed in the Rockwell Business Center, and the paths around it are protected by nets on steel frames. They're downright ugly, but much better than having a hammer or something fall on one's head.

Fishy reflections

"I'd rather be a big fish in a specialized pond than a little, little fish in a more generalized big pond."

~Leonard Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc

Big, lovely koi in the pond at the center of the little park at Rockwell Business Center. Reflected in the water on the right side is the building which I posted for the May 1 City Daily Photo theme day.

Bespoke building

"If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be meetings."

~Dave Barry, American humor columnist

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY: SQUARES • The windows of the Rockwell Business Center in Pasig City are made up of myriad panes of square glass. Even the pattern on its facade has squares.

The Rockwell Business Center was especially made for IT-based businesses. Which probably means that most of its tenants are call centers and business process outsourcing companies.

Healthcare

"When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied."

~Herophilus (335–280 BC), Alexandrian physician

When I need tests or specialists not available in my primary care clinic, I go to The Medical City. Mainly because they're covered by our medical insurance and it's not too far from where I live and work. Thankfully, all my experiences with their doctors, and hospital and laboratory staff have all been good. But then, I haven't had anything serious and I've only had to stay overnight once.

Knock on wood.

Martha Stewart would approve

"Everywhere I go, I always look for creative entrepreneurs, whether it's artisans and craftsmen, small farmers and gardeners, or restaurateurs who use fresh, locally sourced ingredients."

~Martha Stewart

The tiny Poco Deli in Kapitolyo, Pasig City has a special mission: to serve only premium, all-natural food and drinks made in small batches by dedicated artisans. This is true for their sausages and smoked bacon, pizza and pasta, steak, cakes and ice cream, and beer and wine. With the notable exception of the wines, almost everything is also proudly Philippine-made. This dedication to everything artisanal translates into some of the richest and most deliciously unique flavors I have ever encountered. Gorgonzola and fig ice cream, anyone?

Low smog

This was the view from my room during my first-ever overnight stay in a hospital in mid-April, in The Medical City. We are looking southeast over Pasig City, and in the foreground is Valle Verde, a gated residential community. I love the fact that you can hardly see the houses because of the trees, but I think it's only because I was just on the fifth floor.

Meditating in the garden

Cafe Juanita (see the previous two posts) is located in a converted house in Barangay Kapitolyo in Pasig City. To maximize the space for customers, the small garden was roofed over and enclosed. To retain the feeling of a garden, however, the space was filled with hanging and potted plants, and what looks like old window grills were attached to the bare concrete wall. Buddha also meditates in the room—on a drum this time—watched over by six colorful macaws.

A ride in the park

Of the gazillion items to see at Cafe Juanita (see yesterday's post), this was the one item that truly caught my eye. I haven't seen a porcelain figurine like this in years, and it's the first time I've seen a large piece used as a lamp base—with a bead-tasseled lampshade, to boot. The overall effect is so gaudily out there, I love it.

A visual feast

Cafe Juanita in Pasig City has to have the most eclectic decorations I have seen in any restaurant.
  Buddha in many poses, an infant Jesus, various kinds of pottery, and an intricately carved wooden lamp on a mother-of-pearl-inlay sideboard greet guests at the entrance.

Europe and Asia are well-represented, as are all materials one can think of for knickknacks: wood, glass, crystal, clay, porcelain, cloth, metal, plastic. Every inch of wall, floor and ceiling space not used for dining or walking is covered by a bewildering array of objects both precious and chintzy.

For some reason, though, Cafe Juanita's decorations aren't overwhelming or dizzying. And for the life of me, I cannot figure out why.

Home in a hotel

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.

Solo act

At the Ortigas Park.

Silver snakes

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.

Third

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

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

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.

Refuge

Hidden among the tall office and condominium buildings of Ortigas Center is the tiny Ortigas Park, which has several cafés nearby. We were there on New Year's Eve—the first time I've been there—and most of the benches were occupied, I assume by residents of the many condominiums in the area. Metro Manila needs more havens like it.

Marked

THEME DAY: GRAFFITI • The city government of Pasig spent quite a lot of resources prettifying the area under the elevated portion of Meralco Avenue for pedestrians. As usual, someone couldn't resist defacing the painted supporting pillar. This is the kind of graffiti that I detest. People who do this always remind me of dogs marking their territory, but at least dogs protect the territory they've marked. I don't think these vandals do.




Vandalism or street art, see graffiti from all over the world with City Daily Photo bloggers. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Touché

We had lunch with my husband's family at The Podium mall yesterday, where a fencing competition was going on. Sponsored by the mall and the Philippine Fencing Association, the competition was also meant to raise awareness about the sport, promote the association and, hopefully, excite enough interest from young mall-goers so they will take up fencing. The little girl in the pink shirt was watching the competition with complete attention (though her older sister wasn't)—think she'll ask her parents for epee, foil or sabre lessons some time soon?

Dignified

The second dining room of Café 1771 is called "The Lounge" and it's easy to see why. This long table was the one set up for our group, friends from college. The books on the shelves are real; old, used ones but bound like new in hardcover. In fact, the first book I pulled out to check whether they were real happened to come from the library of the university where we studied, which gave us all a good laugh.




My friends and I agree that the earth tones and subdued lighting of The Lounge provide a more relaxing atmosphere than the bright colors and fluorescent lights of yesterday's Whimsy, which is through the doorway where the waiter is standing. We also noticed that the ones who chose Whimsy were in their twenties, while those in The Lounge were all at least in their forties.




Replace the painting on the wall with a wide video screen and The Lounge can very well be in someone's lovely home. A movie would be perfect with the popcorn served as an appetizer.

Whimsical

Café 1771 has two distinct dining rooms. This light-hearted, colorful room is called "Whimsy."