The Urban Roamer

Pasong Tamo Extension: Makati’s Old Industrial Center

January 22, 2015 by The Urban Roamer

What more can be said about the growth and development of Makati? Many would automatically associate those attributes to the city’s Central Business District, the area that has defined not only the modern Makati but also the metropolis as a whole.

But it would be a mistake to attribute those things to the Makati CBD alone. Pretty much overlooked in this story is the role played by the industrial area on the southern part of the city, the area known as Pasong Tamo Extension in the city’s Barangay Magallanes, now known as part of Chino Roces Avenue.

Papal Visit Postscript: Pope Francis, 2015

January 25, 2015January 20, 2015 by The Urban Roamer

By all accounts, it can be safely said that the recent Papal visit of Pope Francis with the theme “Mercy and Compassion” was a success, a roaring success at that. A product of two equations coming together: Pope Francis’s innate charm and charisma and the deeply-rooted sense of faith that Filipinos have, in this case the Catholic faith where majority of the population belongs to.

Even if you are not a Catholic, you cannot help but be smitten by the personal touch the Pope has especially in interacting with the people he has met throughout his 5-day visit. With the visit now part of history, let us take a look at some of these moments here.

Horacio de la Costa

January 17, 2015January 17, 2015 by The Urban Roamer

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.”

Fr. Horacio de la Costa, SJ (courtesy of Ateneo de Manila University)

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 of the metropolis.

The Vatican’s Manila Outpost

January 16, 2015 by The Urban Roamer

In the current flurry of activity in the papal visit of Pope Francis, one spot that has been getting much of the attention in the media and in the public at this time is the place where he is staying, the Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines in Manila.

In fact, the Nunciature also played home to the previous papal visits of Paul VI and John Paul II, following a standard procedure that visiting pontiffs would usually stay at the apostolic nunciature of the country they visit if there is such.

Unfortunately, there is not much documentation, text or photos, of the Apostolic Nunciature here as the structure is obscured by high walls and and trees block the view of what it looks like. It has been standing in quiet existence most of the time, in the midst of the flurry of urban activity that surrounds it, not to mention being located in the City of Manila itself.