If you were one of those who caught Pope Francis’ mass at the Manila Cathedral last January 16, you may have chanced upon the words of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in which he quoted a fellow named Fr. Horacio de la Costa who said that the resiliency of the Filipinos can be traced to “music and faith.” While there is little argument to be made about that statement, some have raised a question as a consequence of the Cardinal’s statement: who is Horacio de la Costa? Today, this edition of The Guide will try to answer the question about this man’s identity and his contributions to religion, history, and even the landscape…
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Meralco’s Bright Christmas
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day may have passed, but until the feast of the Epiphany or the Three Kings, (though they’re not actually kings but Magi or Wise Men) it still is a good excuse to still celebrate the Christmas season. And if you are looking for a place to celebrate the last days of the Christmas season, then you may consider visiting the Meralco Complex along Ortigas Avenue and check out the Liwanag Park. For all evenings during this Christmas season until January 19, the area surrounding the Meralco headquarters has been converted into this mini theme park of sorts that is illuminated with hundreds of multicolored bright lights.…
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Ozone Disco: Remembering the Tragedy
One of the most shocking and tragic events that shook the metropolis during the 1990s would be the fire that consumed not only the establishment that was the Ozone Disco Club, but also 162 souls as well as injuring 95 others. It was known at the time as the worst recorded number of deaths in a nightclub. While the event no longer holds that record, that event on the night of March 18, 1996 is one whose spectre still haunts the metropolis and its night club scene. More than 18 years have passed since the events of March 18, 1996, news came out recently that the Sandiganbayan or the country’s…
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MLQ in QC: The Quezon Heritage House
Manuel L. Quezon (MLQ) is a figure known by many honors and accolades. For this entry on this month known as Quezon month, we will deal with one such distinction as the “Father of Quezon City,” a city he originally conceived as the capital city of the Philippines before things got screwy and leaving those dreams unfulfilled. (the full story could be found in a previous piece here) That being said, questions have lingered in the minds of some people over the years as to whether Quezon made residence in the vicinity of the current city named after him. It has been known that the Quezons used to live somewhere in Pasay (back…