• Makati,  Roamer's Roundup

    Checked Out: Art In The Park 2016

    It was that time of the year once again at the Jaime C. Velasquez Park in Salcedo Village, Makati City. From 10 AM to 10 PM last April 3, the park came alive with yet another edition of the annual event, Art in the Park. In the midst of the summer heat, it was a surprise to see sizable number of visitors checking out the latest art works on display and/or on sale from various artists, art galleries, art institutions, schools, and other arts-related entities who have set up a presence in this year’s event.

  • City of Manila,  Pasay,  Quezon City,  Roamer's Roundup

    April 2016 Is Not Starting Out Well

    The Urban Roamer is one of those who cringe at those “<insert name of month>, please be good to me” type of posts. But it is one of those times that we really, really hope it would be so for the rest of the month at least. Because, quite sadly, the start of April 2016 has been quite bad, and “bad” here may be an understatement. In any case, the beginning of April has been depressing, to say the least. Due to the nature of this site and its coverage, the Urban Roamer will not discuss here what happened in Kidapawan, North Cotabato last April 1. Do check out other sources online who…

  • random writings

    A Tribute to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya

    With less than three months to go before the end of the glorious administration of Benigno Aquino III, it is but apt on this April Fools Day to pay tribute to one of the greatest cabinet officials of his administration, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya. How can the Urban Roamer pay tribute to his legacy without mentioning his illustrious lineage as the great grandson of the greatest president ever Emilio Aguinaldo. So what if Aguinaldo is accused of killing Andres Bonifacio and Antonio Luna? Those are just unfounded accusations of a biased liberal media and internet, you hear me? But I digress…sorry about that. Being a Cornell University graduate, Sec. Abaya has proven…

  • City of Manila

    Protestantism in the Metropolis: Central United Methodist Church In Manila

    More often than not, when we talk about Manila’s faith heritage, we talk about the city’s Catholic heritage. That should not be a surprise given that Catholicism is pretty much ingrained in our culture since the Spanish colonial period and that Manila, Intramuros in particular, was the epicenter not only of Catholicism in the country but in Asia as a whole, with its 7 churches located within the city walls. Overlooked in all this is the city’s religious heritage beyond Catholic Manila. Granted they are not as old as the Catholic churches, they have an interesting story to tell as well. One of them is the subject of today’s post,…