Sunset view

Back in 2002, then-Mayor of the City of Manila Lito Atienza revitalized the area beside the seawall along the stretch of Roxas Boulevard between the U.S. Embassy and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He had the area tiled, placed funky lamp posts, allowed food stalls (visit I Heart Manila to see a photo) and called it the Manila Baywalk because it's right beside Manila Bay. In 2007, when Mayor Alfredo Lim won the election, he had the food stalls moved to an empty lot across the the road. I usually hate it when politicians overturn the decisions of their predecessors (which happens a lot here, whether the positions are elective or appointive), but I make an exception in this case. Without the food stalls, there's an unobstructed view of Manila Bay and it's glorious sunsets even from the road. Unfortunately, we passed the area just a little after noon so no beautiful colors here. But if you ever come to Manila and want to see its sunsets, then this is the place to be.

Ready to jaywalk

Does anybody know what kind of tree this is? And whether those things around and hanging from it are roots, vines or branches? There's a tree just like it on my route home from work but it's not as magnificent as this specimen along Roxas Boulevard in the City of Manila.

City lights

The same view of the Manila Yacht Club, Roxas Boulevard and Malate, Manila as in yesterday's photo, but taken at seven o'clock in the evening. Everything just seems so much prettier at night, don't you think so?

Half a fountain

Despite what I wrote last September, I did manage to take a photo of the fountain of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and at night too with the lights on. But just the fountain, no building, because we were actually inside the CCP watching a performance (I took this during the intermission). What you see in the background is the intersection of Roxas Boulevard and Pablo Ocampo Sr. Avenue. The tall jet in the middle wasn't working for some reason—the fountain is so much more dramatic with it. Ah well, until the next opportunity…

Natural or man-made, take a refreshing dip in Watery Wednesday.

If walls could talk

Built in 1908–1912, the Manila Hotel is the oldest premiere hotel in the Philippines. It was part of American architect and city planner Daniel Hudson Burnham's plan for the City of Manila which included neo-classical government buildings (like the old Finance, Legislative and Post Office buildings) and a large park, and was designed by American architect William Edward Parsons. Located along Roxas Boulevard, the hotel has commanding views of Manila Bay, the old walled city of Intramuros and Rizal Park. From 1935 to 1941, Manila Hotel was the residence of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and the MacArthur Suite, which displays some mementos of his and of the war, is one of the most lavish in the hotel.

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Reminding all City Daily Photo bloggers again: our theme for November 1 is Public Transportation, and don't forget to vote for the December theme!

Golden prow

Intrigued by the bangka that rowed across my sunset photo last Friday, I followed it as it crossed the harbor of the Manila Yacht Club. Here are some of the sailboats docked there. The tall building in the background is the 1322 Golden Empire Tower, a residential condominium along Roxas Boulevard. Its main boast is that every unit has a view of Manila Bay. It is currently the tallest building in the City of Manila, and the fourth tallest in Metro Manila. At 203 meters, it's downright puny compared to the world's tallest building.

Discreet advertising

I'm not crazy about electronic billboards in general, but if they were all as tastefully done as this one, I may not mind them too much. Especially if there are no other billboards on the road—a rarity in Metro Manila. This is the only billboard I've noticed along Roxas Boulevard. I guess no one's willing to spoil the view of Manila Bay and its wonderful sunsets. I'm glad.

Forces

The headquarters of the Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas (Philippine Navy) is dwarfed by the headquarters of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines). Both are along Roxas Boulevard in the City of Manila.

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

Adorable trio

Looks like it's not just people who enjoy the sprawling grounds of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (see yesterday's post). I saw these three cuties—with their humans, of course—in the lawn in front of the fountain. That's the busy Roxas Boulevard in the background. I wonder why one still has his leash on though. My guess is he's a bit more excitable than the other two and can't be trusted not to run to the street if he sees something interesting.

Appropriate light

The head office of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) is located along Roxas Boulevard in the City of Manila, right across Manila Bay and its beautiful sunsets. Their buildings (this is only one of several in the compound) are all unremarkable gray concrete blocks, but a golden sunset can make them look almost beautiful.

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Relief operations for the victims of Ondoy are going on all over the metro. I've been to two already, one for a large poor community just down our street where the waters reached at least chest-high and a much larger operation in my own university for the hard-hit cities of Marikina and Cainta, Rizal and other areas. For those abroad who wish to help, the Fil-Am website Barrio Siete has started a "Barrio Bayanihan for Ondoy Victims" and is accepting donations through PayPal which will all be turned over to the Philippine National Red Cross.

Mr. United Nations

Carlos P. Romulo (1899–1985) was a diplomat, politician, journalist, author and soldier. As a journalist and author, he was the first Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize for Journalism in the Correspondence category (1942) and is a Philippine National Artist for Literature. As a politician and diplomat, he served under eight Philippine presidents, from Manuel L. Quezon to Ferdinand E. Marcos. He was the president of the Fourth General Assembly of the United Nations in 1949. Somewhere in the seal of the UN, between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, there is a little dot that represents the Philippines. That dot is there because of Romulo. So it is quite fitting that this statue of him stands at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and United Nations Avenue in the City of Manila.

Home of Philippine culture

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, was inaugurated in 1969 with the purpose of preserving Filipino arts and culture. Its resident companies include the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, UST Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theater, Tanghalang Pilipino, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company and Philippine Madrigal Singers. Of course, with its five theaters and six exhibit halls, it also serves as the premier venue for international dance, music and theater groups that perform in the Philippines. The fountain and lawn in front of the CCP is also a popular picnic area for the residents of congested neighborhoods nearby. I've come to realize though that I might never be able to take a photo of the CCP with the fountain on. We only go there for performances and the fountain's only turned on about half an hour before they begin, and by that time we're already inside the building. Oh well. You can always do a Google image search if you want to see the CCP with its fountain.

Le Français dans un barong Tagalog

Meet the gentleman behind the wonderful service of Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa, its general manager Jan Michel Gautier. This Frenchman, who is always in a barong Tagalog, has lived in the Philippines with his family for twenty years, though his expertise in the hotel and restaurant industry takes him all over the world. Michel must really love sunsets. He works in an island with beautiful sunsets over Tayabas Bay; in Manila, his home is on Roxas Boulevard, right beside Manila Bay with the best sunset views in the entire metro.

Relaxing rooftop

This rooftop swimming pool is probably the most charming spot in the entire Bayview Park Hotel. The rooms are nothing extraordinary, there's only one café, the business center and gym close at 5:00 p.m., and the lobby doesn't even have armchairs so guests could at least sit while waiting their turn at the check-in counter. But Bayview Park does have several things going for it: compared to other hotels along Roxas Boulevard (which runs parallel to Manila Bay), it's very inexpensive (especially when booked through Agoda); it's one of the stops of the colorful hop-on-hop-off jeepneys; and it's right across the U.S. Embassy.

Natural or man-made, take a refreshing dip in Watery Wednesday.

Bay view

The hotels, apartments and office buildings of the Malate, Manila area of Roxas Boulevard as seen across the harbor of the Manila Yacht Club on an overcast Saturday evening.