Located along the northern bank of the Pasig River, just right next door to Mandaluyong, you can not miss finding Punta on the map. Who can miss that piece of land that’s bulging out and surrounded by the rivers of Pasig and San Juan? And if you look at the map below, Punta does have a peninsula-like appearance, which may be why the Spaniards called the place as such, after their native word for point or tip.
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Santa Ana: the community by the river
Located along the southeastern end of the City of Manila is the district known to many as Santa Ana. Or as it proudly states on its welcome marker, “the historic community of Santa Ana.” Santa Ana by itself has a colorful past that has much been overlooked other than its repuation of having a race track which is NOT evenlocated in the area. (and the race track itself today is no longer in operation, but that’s another story)
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spending an alternative Valentine’s affair: Chinese Lunar New Year
Just when you thought Valentine’s weekend (which by itself is somewhat a rare occurence) would find yourself limited to being caught in crowds of couples flocking into the metropolis’ usual romantic haunts, and/or if you yourself do not feel like spending Valentine’s either, it was nice to get an alternative occasion to celebrate: the Lunar New Year which our fellow Filipino-Chinese brethren celebrated that same weekend. What better way to celebrate it than to pay a visit to the place which is the heart and soul of the Filipino-Chinese community: the Manila Chinatown.
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in memoriam: the old Magnolia/Nestle Ice Cream House
My personal recollection of this place was my habit of looking at it whenever we go to Cubao and pass by this landmark. Growing up with fondness for ice cream and the old Magnolia (who can forget their ice cream and bottled Chocolait?) it was unfortunate that I didn’t get to set foot in the place throughout my childhood. My only satisfaction back then was to get a good view of what I considered a piece of heaven to, at the very least, satisfy a desire that I could not attain at that time. Some though were lucky to get to eat or spend a party in this place back then. During the 1980’s, it was…