Whenever we hear about Makati and the Makati Central Business District (CBD), we usually associate it with the tall buildings, the swanky hotels, and the classy shopping malls. But in the midst of this modern center of commerce lies a cultural soul of the business district that has managed to thrive to be a landmark in its own right and helped make this part of the metropolis more than just a business hub but a cultural hub as well. Of course, we are talking about the Ayala Museum, one the most well-known museums in the metropolis and the country as a whole. And as Ayala Museum marks its 50th birthday in 2017,…
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Of Bygone Days and An Uncertain Future: The Saga Of Harrison Plaza
Before there was the mall, there was a park. Harrison Park as it was called and it was a pretty wide open green space. It served as breathing space in the midst of the growing congestion in southern part of the city. It also served as a natural extension to the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex located right across it as kids played football and softball in the greens. There is also Manila Zoo nearby, which made the park a children’s zone for play and fun. You can imagine how big the old Harrison Park was. Unfortunately, the bigwigs at Manila City Hall (the land where the park is located is…
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The Story Of Philippine Women’s University
Along the busy Taft Avenue in the City of Manila stands an impressive 3-storey structure housing one of the country’s prominent universities. While its prestige is not along the levels of that of the so-called “Big Four” of the Philippine universities, its contributions not only to education but to Philippine society as a whole is something that cannot be denied. It also has quite a history as well, from its glory days in the past to the crisis it experienced in recent years which threatened the existence of the university itself. As it approaches its centennial in a few years’ time after surviving that close call, it is time for the…
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Wishing For Change In Metro Manila
Today marks a new chapter in our country’s history as a new leadership formally assumes office. The leadership itself is a historic one, with a Mindanawon assuming the presidency for the first time in the person of longtime Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. The Urban Roamer joins the entire country in celebrating this peaceful transition of power, along with the hope that better things are ahead for the country under the Duterte administration. As far as Metro Manila is concerned, the last six years were quite a disappointment as the metropolis saw a a lack of mass transit infrastructure built, broken trains, worsening traffic, as well as having to bear witness to the…
