Blogapalooza 2014: A Field Report (Part 1)

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Blogapalooza 2014 just happened last October 11 at the SMX Convention Center Taguig at SM Aura, and the Urban Roamer was fortunate to be there for the 2nd year in a row.  You can check out here my field report from last year.

This year saw a bigger venue, with more exhibitors showcasing their products, offers, and what have you to various bloggers. Congratulations are in order to Vince Golangco and folks at When In Manila for yet another successful holding of Blogapalooza this year and here’s hoping next year’s event would be as fun, if not even more fun than this year’s.

Vince Golangco of When In Manila

There is so much to talk about in this year’s Blogapalooza. May this report be a useful guide with what was in store that day.

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Reminiscing the Tranvias

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Currently, the metropolis is facing serious issues as far as its transportation network is concerned. There is the issue of too many jeepneys plying the metropolitan roads which contribute to the constant heavy traffic the city has been suffering. Then, there is the unreliability of the current mass transit network, particularly that of the Line 3 along EDSA. I suppose I no longer have to elaborate further on that one.

These issues are rooted in a stark and sad reality: the current metropolitan transport system is unorganized and in disarray, needing of a long-overdue total overhaul. What’s even more sad is that it was not always like this. In fact, before World War II, Manila had an extensive and efficient transport system that linked different parts of the city and beyond which consisted mainly of mass transport streetcars that were known here as the tranvias

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Anda Monument Stays

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The month of September has been considered by some as a bad month of the year. The world associates this month with terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001. In the Philippines, September has been associated with events of September 21, 1972 when President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law.

September 2014 was no different, sad to say. From what has occurred with the Army and Navy Club Building which has alarmed concerned citizens to the brazen disregard by Anchor Land of Admiral Hotel’s heritage. (despite what some quarters may say otherwise) Then there were plans to relocate the Anda Monument from its original location in Anda Circle as a way to help ease traffic in the Intramuros-Port Area.

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Santa Ana Revisited

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It has been a while since the Urban Roamer last visited the historic district of Santa Ana in Manila. At that time, the series was written based on the Urban Roamer’s scant knowledge of district as gathered from third party sources.

Over time, I have gotten to learn some new things about this district, most especially recently thanks to my interaction with people who know a great deal about the district itself, not to mention the opportunity to explore more in depth at least parts of it thanks to my work as a volunteer for the Cultural Heritage Mapping Project of Wikimedia Philippines supported by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

That opportunity came in the occasion of a recent Wikiexpedition  (not to be confused with the one) which was focused on mapping the different heritage landmarks around the district, also known as a whole as the Santa Ana Heritage Zone. Volunteers were assigned a specific part of the district to map out and document, not to mention explore some other sights along the way.

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