• City of Manila

    San Sebastian Basilica Up Close

    It is remarkable to realize that San Sebastian Basilica has managed to withstand a lot for more than 125 years and counting. It managed to survive earthquakes, typhoons, and war, not to mention the changing urban landscape that has been detrimental to the city’s development after the war. Its significance as a landmark, a heritage structure and an architectural marvel has not diminished and has become an important of Manila’s landscape for more than a century. That’s not to say the San Sebastian Basilica has been without its own challenges. On the contrary, the fact that it is structure made entirely of metal makes it more prone to elements and…

  • City of Manila

    The San Sebastian Basilica’s Story in Steel

    So much has been written and said about the San Sebastian Basilica in Manila’s Quiapo district. It is, after all, an iconic structure that has pretty much defined the city’s skyline for more than a century. And if we are going to dig deeper, two reasons can be determined as to why and how it became such an icon. One is the Neo-Gothic inspired architecture that is akin to the churches in Europe. And the other is the method of construction used in building this church, as the first and only structure in the country that is built entirely of metal.

  • City of Manila

    Chino Roces and the Bridge at Mendiola

    Since the late Marcos period at least, Mendiola Street has been known as a hotbed of protest activity as people marching there aimed to have their grievances and protests heard a bit closer by whoever is at Malacañang at the end of the said street. The epicenter of sorts of these activities is the bridge along Mendiola that crosses the Estero de San Miguel, named today in memory of one of those who took part in those protests along that storied street. His name is Joaquin Roces, better known to family and friends as “Chino.” And he was no mere protester. He belonged to one of Manila’s most illustrious families,…

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