Many of us may not know what the word “precast” means or what it’s about, but its importance in the shaping of the urban landscape that we know today cannot be emphasized well enough. We may not know it, but the sights we see in our city from the classical monuments to the columnar designs to the ornamental details of edifices, they all have precast figured into their designs. But apologies for getting myself go further without explaining what precast is about. Anyway, it is defined as a material, usually of concrete or plaster, that is cast in a mold to be brought to a site for installation. Precast comes…
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The Mall of Willie
If you were one of those who watched Willie Revillame during the past few years, even on a casual basis, there was no way you would not have known that mall he was always advertising. You know, the one that bears his name, the Wil Tower Mall, which actually opened last September 2013. Technically, the mall is not exactly his as this mall was brought about by a joint venture between him and real estate firm Vista Land, which is owned by Revillame’s longtime friend and patron, former Senator Manny Villar. Another thing is that it is not just strictly a shopping mall but a commercial and residential complex of…
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A farewell to Manila Seedling Bank?
The Urban Roamer wrote an entry on this blog more than two years ago about the Manila Seedling Bank, one of the few remaining green spaces in the metropolis that is home to different varieties of flora that are being displayed and/or sold. In particular, I lauded the place and the organization behind it, Manila Seedling Bank Foundation, (MSBF) for being stalwarts of environmental awareness in the midst of the urban sprawl that has already affected the environment in a negative manner, hoping it would keep on doing its job for years to come. Unfortunately, sad news broke out on December 9, 2013 when the Quezon City government ordered the…
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A walk along Balete Drive
In the metropolis of Manila, and in the Philippines as a whole, no street has been the stuff of so much legend and mystery than that (in)famous stretch of road in the district of New Manila in Quezon City known as Balete Drive. It is said that back in the old days, the main landmark in the area where the street is now stands was a massive balete tree, In Philippine folklore, the balete tree just happens to serve as dwelling for supernatural creatures like the kapre and tikbalang. It can be surmised that the tree was eventually cut down to give way to the road.