museums

A Visit to the First United Building Community Museum

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So much has been said about Escolta Street and its glory days as a premier center of commerce in Manila, its eventual fall from grace after World War II, and the current efforts to revitalize commercial activity here again. With the state of things in the city these days, such efforts are admittedly a tall order. Nevertheless, the work continues with much vigor and passion, thanks to the various groups and individuals with their unceasing love for Escolta and their common dream to see it reclaim its glory as Manila’s “queen of streets.”

interior of Escolta’s First United Building

One of those stakeholders happen to be the owners of the First United Building, the Syliantengs whose have been deeply rooted in Escolta beginning with their patriarch, Sy Lian Teng, an entrepreneur who ran Escolta’s (and Manila’s as well) premiere department store, Berg’s. As a tribute to Escolta’s heritage, the Sylianteng family’s passion for Escolta, and to honor the legacy of the patriarch who has made an invaluable contribution to this street, a community museum was opened last May 16 this year in the premises of the building: the First United Building Community Museum.

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Roaming the Yuchengco Museum

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RCBC Plaza is one of the most known landmarks in the Makati Central Business District, partly because of its strategic location at the intersection of the city’s two main thoroughfares: Ayala Avenue and Sen. Gil Puyat (also known before as Buendia) Avenue. There is also the presence of some diplomatic missions in the country, as well as it being the home base of one of the country’s prestigious conglomerates, the Yuchengco Group of Companies who owns various businesses such as the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation or RCBC, (after which the building as named) Malayan Insurance, and the Mapua Institute of Technology.

But aside from being a center of commerce and diplomatic missions, RCBC Plaza is also a hub for culture and arts with the presence of the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium where plays, concerts, and other performances are held and the subject of this post today on the occasion of the National Heritage Month and International Museum Day, the Yuchengco Museum.

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A Guide to Davao City’s Museums

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For one to know a certain place better as far as its history, culture, arts, and other aspects are concerned, museums are the best place to start. Davao City has pretty much some good museums that visitors can check out to better understand the city as to how it evolved to what it is today.

The Urban Roamer was fortunate to visit some of these museums where one can learn about the different aspects of Davao, as well as some other museums worth checking out for their uniqueness and showcasing some lesser known aspects of the city as well.

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Meet The Other Met

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When one says something about the Met in Manila, it actually would mean either of the two locations in the city. The Urban Roamer has already introduced you to one of them, the Metropolitan Theater. Today, we shall get ourselves acquainted with the other Met, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

Despite the name, the Met Museum here is not actually associated with the more famous Met Museum found in New York. And to be honest, the Met Museum of Manila is not as prominent as other museums in the city. Nevertheless, it has its own charms which makes it an interesting museum to check out.

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