First things first, allow me to greet each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope this season has been a blessed and joyous one for you. And in a few days, we will be bracing for change anew as we say hello to the New Year. But even if 2018 has not arrived yet, change has come early as far as this site and with the Urban Roamer is concerned. First, the Urban Roamer site has switched to an all-new hosting service. With that said, you should expect lesser frequencies of site downtime, at least no more of those that lasts…
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The Army and Navy Club Transformed: A Peek Inside Rizal Park Hotel
The Urban Roamer has talked about the Army and Navy Club a number of times now, bearing witness to its sorry state, a then-unknown future, and its renaissance-in-progress. And after years of work, the Army and Navy Club reopened recently, this time as a new hotel near Rizal Park named, Rizal Park Hotel. The hotel actually opened back in July this year though from what I understand, there are still some parts of the hotel that are yet to be finished. But it is seeing a good flurry of activity since its opening, despite the competition from nearby hotels, most notably the other historic hotel named after the park area, and the Grand Dame located…
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Christmas in the City 2017: The Christmas Light Tunnel at Ortigas East
Christmas is in the air in the metropolis once again! And for many of us, it’s one of the most joyous occasions we look forward to each year. It helps that establishments across the metropolis make an effort to “dress up” for the season, Never mind it reeks of commercialism, these spectacles so colorful and cheerful that you can’t help but smile at what you see, from the Christmas musical lights at Ayala Triangle to Meralco’s Liwanag Park, many of which have become annual Yuletide landmarks that has shaped the metropolis in recent years. This year marks the beginning of a new Yuletide tradition, courtesy of the property developers Ortigas…
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Sleek, Snazzy Skyscraper*: The SSS Building at East Avenue
*Apologies to Paulo Alcazaren for blatantly taking inspiration from one of his articles for the title of this entry 2017 actually marks the 60th anniversary of the Social Security System or SSS, the country’s social insurance program catering to Filipinos in the private, professional, and informal sectors. To be specific, it celebrated its 60th year last September 1, the date the Social Security Act (first enacted in 1954) was implemented, establishing the SSS as a result. Originally, the SSS offices were located in the old GSIS Building along what is now A. Villegas and Natividad Lopez streets then called Arroceros and Concepcion streets, respectively. Which should not be a surprise…
