On the occasion of the National Arts Month, I thought it would be fitting to close out this month with a little tribute to our country’s arts and cultural center: a landmark aptly titled the Cultural Center of the Philippines or the CCP. Technically, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (in Filipino, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas) or CCP refers to the body created in 1966 by virtue of Executive Order 30 as a “trust for..the Filipino people for…preserving and promoting Philippine culture.” But for many people, it will always be identified with its iconic building known formally as the Tanghalang Pambansa (known more as the CCP Main Building or the…
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Some quick love in the city: Santa Mesa’s “motel row”
Disclaimer: the following contents of this entry may contain some “inappropriate” ideas or language, in which the urban roamer apologizes for but deems them necessary for the entry. Be guided accordingly. Thank you! If you’re a first-time visitor to this part of Manila, to this part of Santa Mesa in particular, you might be surprised to see a row of establishments offering budget accommodations, considering this particular area is not really much of a tourist destination but more of a commercial/residential/education zone of sorts. The area that is come to be known as the “motel row” of Santa Mesa, which, for good or ill, what makes this district stand out…
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Coming soon: a Manila Financial Center?
I came across this website recently: http://manilafinancialcenter.com/. Nothing much to be seen there right now, save for some videos and a mediocre design for a website. But the premise of a business district in the City of Manila itself is intriguing idea at the very least. But Manila’s present administration is bent on pursuing that dream. In fact they have identified the area where this planned financial center will rise: right at the Manila South Harbor area, just across the Walled City of Intramuros. The area in dark blue shows the area to be used for this planned for this planned redevelopment. If becoming a reality, the old buildings and…
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“Viva Santo Niño!” and the dance of Manila
Apart from a devotion to the Virgin Mary in all her various forms, (like the Our Lady of Guadalupe, Manaoag, Antipolo, the Rosary, etc.) Filipino Catholics are renowned for their devotion to the Infant Jesus AKA the Santo Niño or the Holy Child. And if the festivals and feasts held every 3rd Sunday of January (which is the feast day of the Santo Niño) are of any indication, the Pinoy Catholic’s devotion to the Santo Niño is as much fervent and grand as the many Marian feasts held here, with Cebu and Aklan being the more popular hotbeds of Santo Niño festivities with their respective festivals the Sinulog and Ati-Atihan.…