Lately, Philippine heritage, most especially Manila heritage, has come under attack no less thanks to big developers who aim to “redevelop” those structures into something more…modern and commercially viable. And unfortunately in a number of cases, “redevelopment” for them means: “we’ll tear this old, historic building down and build something modern that is devoid of historic value, heritage be damned.” That may be the way of thinking developer Anchor Land has when it has decided to demolish the almost 80-year old Admiral Hotel and build a new structure which would be a boutique hotel that will, in their words, “keep its heritage alive and ensure that it remains as a historical…
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Mehan’s Martial Law Memorial
September 23, 1972. After an eerie media silence for about 2 days, the airwaves went back that evening for President Ferdinand Marcos to address the nation. It was as eerie as it turned out to be as he announced that two days prior, on September 21, he signed Proclamation No. 1081 which placed the entire Philippines under Martial Law. Since then, the course of Philippine history would be changed forever. A dramatic shift whose effects are still being felt today, even after more than 40 years.
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Sampaloc’s Twin Churches
The district of Sampaloc in the City of Manila has long been known not only as a bustling residential enclave but also an important educational center of the city and of the metropolis as a whole. But at the heart of this busy district is a spiritual core that is common among many communities in the country. What makes Sampaloc’s case a bit different though is that its spiritual core is served not only by one but two Catholic churches with an intertwined history that has shaped the suburb we know of today.
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From Anda to…Nada?
If the concerns, if not furor, regarding what is happening at the Rizal Monument skyline and the Army and Navy Club are not enough to keep people concerned with Manila’s heritage feeling agitated, here comes the government, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in particular, with their plans that inadvertently would be another cause for worry. A news report states that the DPWH plans to get rid of the Anda Circle, where the Anda monument has served as the area’s main landmark as a measure to ease up traffic along Bonifacio Drive and the Port Area. Traffic that has gotten worse in recent months thanks to the issue regarding the plying trucks in the…