In the realm of Philippine travel journalism, Susan Calo-Medina is an institution, so to speak. Long before the influx of travel programs and channels, travel magazines, and those countless travel websites and blogs like this one, she was one of those pioneering spirits who went out of her way to visit almost every point in the Philippines and show to us the rich sights and sounds the country has to offer. And for a generation or so of Filipinos who grew up watching her on Travel Time or on Tipong Pinoy with Wency Cornejo, Susan served as a gateway for us to discover and be inspired by the country’s beauty and diversity for the…
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Nazareno Blues and Other News
Today, there are no classes and city government work in the City of Manila as it celebrates the Feast of the Black Nazarene, an event the Urban Roamer has written about in the past. This year though has been an interesting one not much because of the event but due to the sidelights which have gotten a bit more attention.
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A Metro Manila Film Festival 2014 Postscript (and a movie review too)
Christmas season in would not be complete without the movies. And by that, I mean the movies being shown at the annual film festival held at this time of year, the Metro Manila Film Festival or MMFF. First launched in 1975, the MMFF was an occasion where local filmmakers get to release films without having to worry about competition from foreign films during the Christmas season, something that has been an object of irritation among some cinephiles who are deprived of seeing some Hollywood film early. (like in the case of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy films which were released here in January instead of the same Christmas…
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A New Year Celebration Postscript
If there’s one thing to know about New Year celebrations in Metropolitan Manila, it’s that the city goes all out. No matter where you are in the metropolis, there’s no missing the bright and grand fireworks to greet the new year. And as the video below shows, the whole city just goes bonkers in the celebration. And that video, taken from Gramercy Residences in Century City, made its way to popular news website Mashable, which boldly proclaimed that Manila’s fireworks wins over the New Year fireworks in New York City.