It is a scene we are no longer unfamiliar with, unfortunately. As Typhoon Mario itself was ravaging Northern Luzan, thanks to the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” found itself on the receiving end as well of the typhoon’s fury even though the metropolis was not in the typhoon’s direct path. As a result, last September 19, parts of Metro Manila was submerged in flood water that rose as high as the chest, paralyzing the metropolis as a whole to a standstill that day. Alarming as it may seem, it looks like it is going to be the new normal, thanks to climate change and the continued inaction of our authorities.
-
-
Daniel Burnham
The Urban Roamer has talked about places, events, and issues. Now, beginning with this entry, the Urban Roamer will be featuring from time to time the people who have helped shaped Metro Manila in this new feature called “Metropolis Builders.” We will be looking at the contributions of urban planners, architects, visual artists, and other visionaries who have helped enrich the metropolitan landscape. And it is apt that the first figure to be featured here is the one who was instrumental in shaping the Manila that we know today… Born on September 4, 1846 in New York State, Daniel Burnham was as an American architect and urban planner who first came into prominence…
-
Manila’s Port Problems
The past few months have been quite a strenuous time for the Port of Manila. Partly, one major factor behind this was the truck ban implemented by the Manila City Government against trucks plying the streets of the city during key hours of the day. (the original hours of the truck ban was virtually whole day from 5 AM–9 PM, but was tweaked so there were window hours set in place for trucks to ply the city streets from 10 AM-3 PM) While the jury’s out whether the truck ban has alleviated traffic in the city, the idea itself gained traction as other cities in the metropolis implemented their own truck…
-
Cine Europa 17
The Urban Roamer is not just about places or events. From time to time, it indulges in appreciating art in any form…in this case, the art of cinema. What better way to indulge in such aspects than to check out this annual event that celebrates European cinema: the Cine Europa. Organized by the European Union in the Philippines, Cine Europa is an annual film festival which showcases films produced by some of the EU’s member countries (+ Norway and Switzerland, which are not EU members) for free, thus giving moviegoers an opportunity to be acquainted with the best in contemporary European cinema.