Recently, the National Economic and Development Authority, (NEDA) the government’s economic development planning body, has approved 12 new infrastructure projects to be built in the country. In particular interest to Metro Manila are 2 projects which are hoped to alleviate the metropolis’ traffic woes. (the operative word there is “hopefully”) It has to be noted though that these two projects (at least some aspects of them) are not really new. In fact, they have been long in the pipeline but it is only now that NEDA gave them the approval to get started with these projects.
-
-
The Saga of the (Victory) Lacson Underpass
It’s interesting to note that Metro Manila has more pedestrian overpasses (or footbridges as they are popularly called these days) than pedestrian underpasses. Maybe it’s partly because of concerns of flooding as parts of the metropolis are flood-prone areas, which also is a factor as to why there is yet to be a true subway system in the metropolis. (no, the partly underground Lines 2 and 3 do not count) This entry today talks about one of these few pedestrian underground networks in the country, the Quiapo underpass network known today as the Lacson Underpass, the first such network to be built in the City of Manila and in the…
-
The Lady of Ermita
Mention the place “Ermita” and you will probably get many responses that dwell on the district’s not-so-positive reputation, thanks to it being known before as a haven of the so-called “girly bars” that has tainted this old district’s heritage, never mind the fact that these bars are no longer as prevalent as they were before the 1990s. Nevertheless, for the old Catholic faithful in the district, they have their affections lie on one lady whose presence there predates the bars, going as far back at least to the time when the Spaniards set foot in Manila in 1571. The lady of Ermita that is the Marian image known as the Nuestra…
-
The Pasig River Ferry: A Different Commuting Experience
It is with great honor to announce that the Urban Roamer has contributed his first piece for the popular site When In Manila! And for this one, the roamer talks about the commuting experience riding the Pasig River Ferry, the excerpt of which can be found below: Ever since the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reopened the Pasig River ferry service to the public last April, I have heard some mixed reactions about the service – some were good and some were bad. Negatives aside, I was still curious to experience what commuting via the Pasig River ferry was like. Fortunately, as I was in the vicinity of Guadalupe one…