Recently, the Urban Roamer came across an interesting news item through one of Facebook groups dealing with Philippine heritage news and issues. The news item was actually part of a series of reports broadcasted on CNN Philippines last February that talked about the “restoration” of the old Ayuntamiento de Manila building to become the new home of the Bureau of the Treasury. It would have been an interesting read, had not it been for the maliciously anti-heritage slant put forth by the report of Fiona Nicolas, which put the restoration as “costly” and that the Php 1.188B spent on this project would have been better spent elsewhere like poverty alleviations,…
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Roaming Pateros (Part 2: Alfombras and Ancestral Houses)
With its small land area, it would easy to dismiss outright Pateros and what this town has to offer, save for its well-known duck-raising and balut industry. While Pateros prides itself for such a distinction, it would be disingenuous to say that it is only thing going for this town. In fact, even with its size, Pateros has some surprises in store of its own. In particular, we shall see here that Pateros has a vibrant industry beyond duck-raising, as well as some remnants of a rich heritage that still exist in this part of the metropolis.
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Roaming Pateros (Part 1: A Duck-Raisers Town)
In the midst of rapidly urbanized Metro Manila, Pateros is one of those places that are considered an “anomaly,” if that is the correct word to put it. For one, Pateros is, at this time of writing, the only remaining municipality in the metropolis. Then there is its land area, the smallest for a city/town in Metro Manila at 2.25 square kilometers, which itself is a factor as to why any cityhood plans for this town is a challenge. (those vying to become cities should at least have a land area of 100 square kilometers) Perhaps because of these factors, Pateros still exudes a small town charm that has managed…
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It Was Raining Cats and Dogs Last Weekend
Last weekend at the SMX Convention Center, it was raining cats and dogs. Well, in a figurative sense in a way since there was intermittent heavy rain that was experienced I believe. But for this entry, I’m talking about that literal meaning here as dogs and cats reigned at Hall 3 of the convention center. The occasion was the annual Dog and Cat Expo. You can just imagine the furry cuteness overload in the venue during that weekend.