While Quezon City may not have ended up being the nation’s planned capital city as its “father” Manuel L. Quezon hoped it to be, it still managed to grow and develop, thanks in part to the various real estate developers who built village after village almost throughout the city after the war. Some villages in particular were built east of the planned-but-ultimately-scrapped National Government center. One was named Sikatuna Village, after the Boholano chieftain who entered into a blood compact with conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565 as a sign of friendship that marked the early steps for Spanish colonization. North of Sikatuna is what is known as Teachers…
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Welcome! Mabuhay! (AKA that Rotonda in Quezon City)
There’s something about how Metro Manila loves rotondas, never mind if many motorists don’t know how to use them properly. If the presence of a number of rotondas in the metropolis can be taken as evidence of such. Even though some of these places no longer have the physical rotondas, the presence of rotondas in those places before still live on in memory. (Take for instance the old Santa Mesa Rotonda where the old Carriedo Fountain used to stand in the middle of that rotonda) But of all the rotondas in the metropolis, living or extinct, none perhaps would be as more renowned and well-loved of what is now a…
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From ABC to TV5: a history thru places
October marks the anniversary of the Philippine television industry which first made its mark in 1953. As its own to commemorate the milestones of the Philippine media, (broadcast media in particular) this blog will dedicate this month writing some interesting tidbits and places in broadcast history, past and present. Long considered as titans in the print media industry with their ownership of Manila Times and the Liwayway Group of Publications to name a few, the Roces family found themselves getting involved in the booming broadcast industry in 1960, thanks to the license given to them by Philippine Congress. Thus, on June 19 of that year, Joaquin “Chino” Roces founded the…
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remembering Martial Law
September 21, 1972 has been a date forever etched in the history of the Philippines as Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree 1021, which placed the entire country under the state of martial law as a way in addressing what was then a “deteriorating” condition of the country’s peace and order. For some, the Martial Law years was a time that our country achieved stability and growth which succeeding administrations have yet to surpass. Then there are others, especially those who became victims of human rights violations during this period, who feel that this particular dark, unforgettable chapter in history should not be glorified. Hearing stories of those imprisoned, tortured, killed…