I came across this website recently: http://manilafinancialcenter.com/. Nothing much to be seen there right now, save for some videos and a mediocre design for a website. But the premise of a business district in the City of Manila itself is intriguing idea at the very least. But Manila’s present administration is bent on pursuing that dream. In fact they have identified the area where this planned financial center will rise: right at the Manila South Harbor area, just across the Walled City of Intramuros. The area in dark blue shows the area to be used for this planned for this planned redevelopment. If becoming a reality, the old buildings and…
-
-
“Viva Santo Niño!” and the dance of Manila
Apart from a devotion to the Virgin Mary in all her various forms, (like the Our Lady of Guadalupe, Manaoag, Antipolo, the Rosary, etc.) Filipino Catholics are renowned for their devotion to the Infant Jesus AKA the Santo Niño or the Holy Child. And if the festivals and feasts held every 3rd Sunday of January (which is the feast day of the Santo Niño) are of any indication, the Pinoy Catholic’s devotion to the Santo Niño is as much fervent and grand as the many Marian feasts held here, with Cebu and Aklan being the more popular hotbeds of Santo Niño festivities with their respective festivals the Sinulog and Ati-Atihan.…
-
an Expo of an alternative Cubao
At this point, we are going to end for now our little series on old Cubao. I think it is but appropriate that we close this series with a feature on a landmark that has best represented the evolution of this particular area over the years. It was known before as the Marikina Shoe Expo, a complex of shoe stores (all of which housed in the same type of 2-story structures) located along Gen. Romulo Ave., right across the old Rustan’s store in Cubao. Opened in 1972, it was meant to showcase the best of the Marikina shoe industry. It won’t be long before the complex and the stores in…
-
A Shared History: Ali Mall and SM Cubao
Located at the southeast end of Cubao’s commercial district are a couple of landmarks that seem to have some intertwined history of sorts, sharing a unique history in a place as ever-changing as this area called Cubao. Both have their start in a period that was known as Cubao’s golden age of sorts as it was then known as the premier commercial district in the metropolis, then faced a period of decline and are now going through an age of rejuvenation of sorts as is the area which they are located. In the midst of all these, it is remarkable to note their resilience in the midst of these changes.…