Over the past few days, there has been so much talk going on about the planned rebuilding of the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge which connects the Rockwell-Poblacion area of Makati and the Hulo-Barangka area of Mandaluyong over the Pasig River. More so when the Department of Public Works and Highways closed the bridge and reopened it a day later after it received complaints from motorists and commuters. But why the need for a new bridge, especially one that connects two bustling areas along both sides of the Pasig River? To answer this question, one must look at the history of the bridge and the development of these areas in question.
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The Two Houses of Jose P. Laurel
Jose P. Laurel has a somewhat mixed legacy for having served as President of the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic from 1943 to 1945. Whatever achievements his administration had were overshadowed by the specter of Japanese control over the country, especially with their “support” for an independent but pro-Japan Philippines, and the horrors of World War II at large, especially towards the end when fighting between the Japanese and the US-led forces brought about much death and destruction to the country. Despite this, he is regarded as a good president who had nothing but the Filipino interests at heart and did what he could in the situation prevailing that time in the face of…
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Brew and Vinyl Love at the Satchmi Store
These days, the old is becoming the new. Most especially so in the case of music as vinyl records our parents and grandparents used to listen to are becoming hip again in this age of digital music where digital formats, music playing gadgets, and services like iTunes and Spotify are shaping the way people today are listening to music. It is certainly one trend that is not going unnoticed. Apart from the antique shops and other vintage item dealers in open markets, one company making its mark in riding the vinyl wave is Satchmi which has been marketing its own brand of vinyl record players. September last year, Satchmi took…
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Christmas in the City 2014: Policarpio Street Revisited
Five years ago, during the early days of the site, the Urban Roamer wrote about the Christmas spectacle at Policarpio Street in Barangay New Zaniga in Mandaluyong, Being my first time to visit the place, I was amazed at the spectacle some of the houses there showcased there, undoubtedly done with such meticulousness and dedication for the love of the season. With so much that has happened to the Urban Roamer since then, this Christmas season was a good opportunity to revisit the neighborhood and see what has changed, if any, since that last visit.