If you’ve been reading the news these days about the Noynoy Aquino administration, you probably heard about the opposing camps in his administration: the Balay Group and the Samar Group. While The Urban Roamer does not dwell on all this political talk and intrigue, I thought it would be interesting to devote some space on this blog today to know about the home bases of these camps, after whom these groups were named in the media.
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an Expo of an alternative Cubao
At this point, we are going to end for now our little series on old Cubao. I think it is but appropriate that we close this series with a feature on a landmark that has best represented the evolution of this particular area over the years. It was known before as the Marikina Shoe Expo, a complex of shoe stores (all of which housed in the same type of 2-story structures) located along Gen. Romulo Ave., right across the old Rustan’s store in Cubao. Opened in 1972, it was meant to showcase the best of the Marikina shoe industry. It won’t be long before the complex and the stores in…
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A Shared History: Ali Mall and SM Cubao
Located at the southeast end of Cubao’s commercial district are a couple of landmarks that seem to have some intertwined history of sorts, sharing a unique history in a place as ever-changing as this area called Cubao. Both have their start in a period that was known as Cubao’s golden age of sorts as it was then known as the premier commercial district in the metropolis, then faced a period of decline and are now going through an age of rejuvenation of sorts as is the area which they are located. In the midst of all these, it is remarkable to note their resilience in the midst of these changes.…
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a few other remnants of Old Cubao
In the midst of a continuing evolution of Cubao’s landscape brought about by modern trends and a recent redevelopment bid, it is interesting to see some of the structures that have become known as landmarks of old Cubao still manage to survive. But the survival of these structures can either be a good or bad thing, especially in a place as ever-changing as Cubao. While it’s good to see some old “architecture” surviving in this part of the city, they can also be a bane as it can hamper the development of a certain area, especially if they are what can be called as “eyesores.” Unfortunately, a number of old…