The Urban Roamer

A Walk Around Quiapo

November 6, 2014 by The Urban Roamer

As part of an effort to revitalize Quiapo through the rehabilitation of one of the heritage houses in the area, the Kasa Boix, the Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista recently organized an event called the Lakbay Lakaran, which aims to give visitors a unique experience in exploring what is known as the heart and soul of Manila, the district of Quiapo.

The Lakbay Lakaran was a good opportunity to see some of the district’s hidden and overlooked gems and give a new perspective of what it has to offer, beyond the stereotypical imagery that has been adversely attached to it in recent years, like being a place of chaos and disorder.

The Urban Roamer was fortunate to take part in one of the two tours the group has made this year. The Lakbay Lakaran I joined took us to some spots that were already documented here like the Ocampo Pagoda and the Padilla House as well as others that will be documented here today.

Future Hall of Justice? The Uncertain Future of the GSIS Building in Manila

November 5, 2014November 5, 2014 by The Urban Roamer

There is a popular saying that goes something like “justice delayed is justice denied.” In a sense, such saying can be applied to this painfully long-drawn-out story that is the quest for Manila to have a Hall of Justice or a separate courthouse building where its scattered courtrooms can be finally under one roof, so to speak.

But new developments have come up recently which should be a reason to be a bit hopeful. Finally, the Supreme Court has allocated funds for the Hall of Justice to be finally built as bidding the project is being done at this writing. A site for this structure has already been determined as well as the site chosen is itself a landmark in the city, the former headquarters of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) right at the corner of the former Arroceros and Concepcion Streets (now known as Antonio Villegas and Natividad Lopez Streets respectively) near the Mehan Garden and Manila City Hall.

The Case of Makati’s Missing Cemetery

November 3, 2014November 3, 2014 by The Urban Roamer

As far as the Urban Roamer’s knowledge was concerned, there was a smaller cemetery located right next to Manila South Cemetery, the Makati Cemetery in the city’s Barangay Valenzuela. So after roaming Manila South Cemetery, I decided to walk on and check out Makati Cemetery…

Only to find out it was actually closed, which was weird considering that cemeteries are not usually closed to the public unless something was up. It was only recently that I got the full story.

Manila South Cemetery (AKA the Manila Cemetery in Makati)

March 2, 2016October 28, 2014 by The Urban Roamer

It’s the Halloween-All Saints-All Souls season once more, which means another opportunity for the Urban Roamer to roam those places few people don’t really dare to wander off to except on this occasion. In the past years, the Urban Roamer has walked around a number of cemeteries around the metropolis, which you can check out in our archives. This year, we check out a certain cemetery that lies in a unique geographical situation. Unique in the sense that it lies within the borders of one city but is administered by another city, the Manila South Cemetery.