Of conquistadores and libertadores: the case of Intramuros monuments

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The southwestern portion of the area outside the walls of Intramuros is a curious sight to say the least, for the presence of a hodge-podge of monuments which have little to do with each other nor do have any commonalities with a single aspect of Philippine history…if any.

I have blogged about some of these monuments before: the Ninoy-Cory monuments and the Cardinal Sin one located near the corner of Padre Burgos and Bonifacio Drive, which are part of that particular monument complex. A bit farther is the most imposing of all the monuments in the area, and also the oldest in existence. This is the Legazpi-Urdaneta monument erected in memory of the conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the Augustinian priest Fray Andres de Urdaneta who were instrumental in bringing the Philippines under Spanish rule in 1565.

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The Grand Dame by the Bay (Part 2)

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With the many changes the Manila Hotel underwent through over the years, there is still this old world charm that it has managed to somehow retain today. This is evident the moment you step in its doors and be greeted by its iconic grand lobby.

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From the lobby to the room, every inch of the hotel manages to still retain an old world charm that reminds you of what Manila was in the past.

As far as hotel dining is concerned, the Manila Hotel has managed to make its mark thankss to its Ilang-Ilang Restaurant which offers a rich buffet of dining choices from different parts of the world.

Given its long history, there are countless stories that have been told in this hotel, from the illustrious guests that made their way through the grand lobby, or even at the hotel bar, where legend tells that sometime in 1946, an American businessman Roy Farrell and a group of journalists brainstormed for a name for his new airline. It was decided then and there that its name would be…Cathay Pacific.

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The Grand Dame by the Bay (Part 1)

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Each city has at least one icon of a hotel that has inextricably become part of that city’s history and heritage. And if there is one hotel in Manila that deserves that iconic tag, there is little doubt (if not none) that such honor will be granted to the so-called “Grand Dame by the Bay”: the Manila Hotel.

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Perhaps no stronger case can be cited with the intertwined histories of the city and its hotel than a glance at the hotel’s history, a part of what was supposed to be a grander masterplan by American architect Daniel Burnham for Manila in 1905 as a “City Beautiful.” The land where Manila Hotel stands today is actually reclaimed land, along with what is now known today as the South Harbor, Luneta “extension,” and nearby areas along a stretch of a coastal boulevard we know today as Roxas Boulevard. Burnham saw the importance of the Manila Bay to the city. Thus, he conceptualized the reclamation and the construction of the boulevard, and important structures that would highlight Manila’s connection to its bay; Manila Hotel would serve as centerpiece for that connection.

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Manila’s First Flyover

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It is said that during the late 1930’s, at a time when Manuel Quezon served as President of the self-governing Philippine Commonwealth, he was keeping a mistress who lived in what was then the affluent district of Santa Mesa. So he would pay her a visit from time to time on a strict timeframe, something which was of convenience as well since he also maintained a residence in the area. (as well as some other prominent Filipinos during the prewar period)

One day however, in one of those visits, Quezon and his entourage was stopped by a passing train along the railroad tracks that intersected Santa Mesa Boulevard. Being in a hurry and his strict timeframe cut short, Quezon was fuming mad at that incident that he ordered the Public Works office to have an overhead bridge constructed along the boulevard, built over the railroad tracks, for the benefit of the passing vehicles.

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