Baywalk after the storm

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I’ve always wanted to write about that 2-kilometer stretch of open space by the seaside of Manila Bay that we all know as the Baywalk. For someone who grew up spending some of my free days along the Manila Bay, I have been witness to the changes the area has seen over the past years and beautiful sunsets that made it a popular attraction and a source of pride as well.

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How can one forget the Baywalk during the administration of then Manila Mayor Lito “floral shirt guy” Atienza (1998-2007)? In his efforts to revitalize Manila tourism, he spearheaded the redevelopment of the once-dark Manila Bay side into the Baywalk that we know with brick-tiled floors, beautified promenades, spruced with retail shops and restaurants lined up along the Baywalk illuminated at night with those funky, multi-colored lamps that have been a subject of curiosity and criticism as well. Baywalk soon became a favored nightspot in an area as tourism and business boomed.

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From ABC to TV5: a history thru places

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October marks the anniversary of the Philippine television industry which first made its mark in 1953. As its own to commemorate the milestones of the Philippine media, (broadcast media in particular) this blog will dedicate this month writing some interesting tidbits and places in broadcast history, past and present.

Long considered as titans in the print media industry with their ownership of Manila Times and the Liwayway Group of Publications to name a few, the Roces family found themselves getting involved in the booming broadcast industry in 1960, thanks to the license given to them by Philippine Congress. Thus, on June 19 of that year, Joaquin “Chino” Roces founded the Associated Broadcasting Company.

Originally starting out with studios along Roxas Boulevard, ABC would also have studios along the former Pasong Tamo St., nearby the head office of Roces’ Liwayway Group Publications. During its first 12 years, ABC was considered one of the top TV networks of the time, and a fierce competitor of ABS-CBN, then already known as the number one broadcast network, not to mentioned it being owned by another influential family in the media industrty as well, the Lopezes.

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remembering Martial Law

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September 21, 1972 has been a date forever etched in the history of the Philippines as Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree 1021, which placed the entire country under the state of martial law as a way in addressing what was then a “deteriorating” condition of the country’s peace and order. For some, the Martial Law years was a time that our country achieved stability and growth which succeeding administrations have yet to surpass.

Then there are others, especially those who became victims of human rights violations during this period, who feel that this particular dark, unforgettable chapter in history should not be glorified. Hearing stories of those imprisoned, tortured, killed or forcibly gone into disappearance (AKA the desaparecidos) can make one shudder in horror of the crimes done against these victims.

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A fusion of faiths in Manila

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Manila, and the Philippines in general, has always been described as a melting pot of eastern and western cultures. Religion has been no exception as with the case of this curious religious item called the Santo Cristo de Longos. Legend tells us that sometime in the 16th century, a deaf-mute Chinese guy was getting water … Read more