This first bit of roundup news is, disclaimer, a news item yet to be confirmed by the party/ies in question. Nevertheless, it is something of a good news to start things off.
Reports say that Ayala Land is currently looking at possibly acquiring the “chaka” (Filipino gay lingo for cheap, though in this case, it’s more of an extravagant waste) Makati eyesore that is the unfinished JAKA Tower along Ayala Avenue. (one cannot resist doing that “chaka” and “JAKA” wordplay, no?)
Manuel L. Quezon (MLQ) is a figure known by many honors and accolades. For this entry on this month known as Quezon month, we will deal with one such distinction as the “Father of Quezon City,” a city he originally conceived as the capital city of the Philippines before things got screwy and leaving those dreams unfulfilled. (the full story could be found in a previous piece here)
That being said, questions have lingered in the minds of some people over the years as to whether Quezon made residence in the vicinity of the current city named after him. It has been known that the Quezons used to live somewhere in Pasay (back in those pre-reclamation and pre-urban congested days when it was a scenic neighborhood that enjoyed the Manila Bay) as where other prominent families resided as well. Thus it was a pleasant surprise to learn that Quezon and his family did live in what is now Quezon City, in particular in the emerging neighborhood of New Manila.
As the Urban Roamer is celebrating its fifth year in its online existence, I realized I have not really told anyone yet the full story as to how I came into starting what was then an unknown journey for me 5 years ago. So I suppose this is the perfect occasion for me to finally tell that story, a story which by itself went back years before…
I suppose many would know my affection for geography, a love that grew out of my love as a child for what I would call “urban geography,” as I would try to memorize jeepney routes, learning the ins and outs of whatever place I would go to with my family. But back then and into my teens, that knowledge and fascination that I had with urban geography was something that I considered to be…I’m tempted to say trivial but I feel it’s demeaning to say so since I never considered them or any bits of information that I learn as such. They’re informative bits still that proved useful to share to others.
But while other trivia can be further useful in other outlets like game and quiz shows which were popular at that time, I was struggling to find an appropriate outlet where I can possibly put that knowledge about urban geography that I’ve learned over the years into good use. At that time, my options and know-how were limited, as I contented myself with showcasing that knowledge whenever someone asks about this place in the city which I am familiar with. There was also no one nor thing I can possibly look up to as an inspirations where or how to do it. More importantly, I did not have a purpose to do so.
With so many problems Metro Manila’s Line 3 mass transit rail system is having for…God knows how long, it has become a tiring and uneasy job for me to write about yet another issue about this darned rail line. Especially if you have been keeping abreast with the news about the metropolitan mass transit system for a long while now, which in my case, precedes that of the Urban Roamer. (which is turning 5 soon, but that’s another matter altogether)
But what happened last Wednesday afternoon, August 13, is something for the books. Who would have thought we would get to this record low? Maybe some of us did and it was just of matter of when. Still the fact that it actually happened is depressing that no snark or joke can alleviate the rage many of us feel for the failure of the people at the top in addressing the longstanding issues of mass transport.