Makati Central Square | A New Art Haven

The Makati Central Square sounded like a new place in Makati City, but it’s not brand new; entirely more of a retro place updated to look fresh and reinvigorated for people to explore it again. It’s like rediscovering an old friend or a hangout place some might have grown up passing through during their urban travels. Strangely, they renamed it since four old cinemas were reconstructed to be something else. It was originally known as the Makati Cinema Square, hence the name, and going back to its early years, it used to house four cinemas. But over time, those four cinemas had slowly been replaced by being them by something else. As they say, the only constant in life is change, and sometimes it might depend on the good or the bad.

Points to Ponder | Small-Scale Fire Incidents

Waking up in the usual routine, and going through the same grind that’s a typical morning day. There were blaring sirens and fire engines making noise in the other street. It was alarming to think it might be just the annual Fire Drill that most offices in Makati City are doing as other establishments have been doing to prepare for the force, but nothing prepared me for this day. It was almost lunch already, and there have been so many things on my plate. Like everyone in this country, most people would just continue to ignore what’s happening around them. But I’m not “most people” who would pretend I’m wearing horse blinders and choose to black out my perspective as my eyes are open.

Everyday City | Mind Through Visuals

Lockdowns are tough. It’s like the world has stopped and you feel useless. Some find ways to go about their day, but for some its not the appearance that you see. Though how most go through with their Mental Health, their anxieties or coping through isolation. Last year was really rough and the pandemic has made short work on most creative individuals out there. Personally, it really took me out unknowingly while on isolation. There was no challenges to write something it’s the part that I need, which is to at least get out of the house for a bit of stroll. Most those days were done in the middle of the day to think and get some ideas, but when you’re stuck at home it become long naps.

Visual Stories | Ulysses Aftermath

When you live in a tropical country the only seasons you’ll ever experience are the excruciating heat of summer or the raging personalities of every tropical typhoon that makes landfall whenever part of the Philippines. The later part of the season is where many locals show their survival or even the resilience to push on.  Recently tropical cyclone Vamco (local name: Ulysses) made its arrival it’s unlike the previous one that devastated a province, but it a sure reminder of the past super typhoons that made short work of a town or a city.  It wasn’t terrible in some parts of the country, but for those who caught the eye of the storm it’s a hurdle that everyone would never want to experience and yet it is difficult and so sorry to those affected.

Points to Ponder | Bike Lanes to Congestion

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic the dynamic of life has changed all over the world. There’s so much to tackle with social issues and other major challenges that everyone has to deal with. But there are also the little things that matter most that can impact the way things are happening all of a sudden. With that there also trends to in how people deal with the situation every given day. In the Philippines, with the suspension of public transport, the population turns to other modes of transport namely, the push bikes or if you have the money to burn there are also the electric two wheels like the scooter. With that changes to how the road and street have given away to these types of vehicles sometimes it doesn’t really worth the adjustment if the lack of space to have them in particular streets.

Grind in Photos | Saturday Feels of Sunday

Saturdays are reserved for wind down to start the weekend. But sometimes you forget what day is already when you have been stuck most of the time at home and your only excuse was just to go out for an errand, which you won’t mind looking around while you are up about the less crowded side of the CBD. In this case the usual routine sometimes in need of deep exploration of places that are rarely a route for most people. For a moment there the first thing comes to mind that it was already Sunday and waking up to that reality seemed confusion. This day has been slow like the past few weekends to catch up on so many things. It’s quite daunting to get the grasp of the world we live in now with so many things happening.

Matter of Perspective | Savage City

There’s no such thing as the great outdoors anymore due to the pandemic of COVID-19 and the only reason why the city is slowly opening up is due to economy. It is still not highly advised to go out and venture your way to spend at your own leisure. But you can’t avoid seeing people now that might have made the change in your perspective these past months being in quarantine. The only reason you need to step out is either you run to do your errands and other important priorities or for those who are cautiously need to get out in doing your workout routine that only allows you in your limited time. But of course in those short travels to the store to buy food or a jog around your area for the observant you may find something that is not ‘normal’ to a decent educated individual.

Grind in Photos | Just Another Sunday

The writing process in putting together this starts with the pictures and how to describe each of them taken like the journey you share with the reader. It is often I write and describe what was happening this Sunday morning on another routine errand that has taken me to the places I used to pass through and it has been a long time since I’ve been in these parts. It has been more than two months since the world was divided and closed all borders to every country due to this pandemic. It is still astonishing how this is becoming complicated every day. This is how we deal with things out of our control and only what we can do is work our way on how we approach it to avoid the anxiety.

Grind in Photos | Sunday Morning Hustle

It has been almost two month now since the world went into lockdown. Some countries has found a way to contain the coronavirus and some are still unfortunate in how to deal with the repercussions. While not all countries have the same restrictions still have the freedom to go to parks and beaches, the Philippines don’t have that luxury mostly those living in a densely populated area. Though restrictions imposed doesn’t mean all the cities within Central Luzon including the major towns in Metro Manila follow a very stringent protocol it still worth noting how anxiety of isolation greatly impacts those who are used to social gatherings. Personally, I’m used to it but this does not mean it doesn’t affect me...

Makati | The Two Cities of Makati

Makati is one of the major cities in Metro Manila. When you mention the name and the first thing on top of your head is the business district and the commercial space that has been there probably even before you were born. It has heritage and history that goes back to the Spaniards taking over the country. These challenging times during the coronavirus pandemic it is currently deserted. But it also gave a little bit of clarity what is Makati as a city would probably surprise you that they are TWO cities within. In other countries like in Australia when you say the City of Adelaide it covers what is defined of that location and in the map the border of greenery surrounding it would easily say that’s downtown. Makati is different the marketing “Make It Makai” is just for the Business District Not the City.

Random Snaps | Passing Through Little Tokyo

01.06.2020 – It has been a while but passing through “Little Tokyo” in the City of Makati was a breeze and it was intentional as to pass the hour before a meeting appointment was pushed to an extra hour. It was unexpected and there was nothing much to do on a Sunday as the weekend is slowly winding down from the Holidays. Definitely, the week is starting to build up again to its ‘normal’ pace as those who spent the Holidays in rural areas and prefectures are coming back. Monday will be here soon, but what can a bloke do? Strolling around the tiny places like “Little Tokyo” doesn’t need an exposition and this is just breezing through the area.

Gallery of Lights | Bedazzled Holiday Season

11.13.2019 – Makati Central Business District is lighting it up when they have switched them on for the annual “Festival of Lights” with the dazzling spectacles signals the start of the Holiday Season in the city. The huge crowd packed the Ayala Triangle Gardens for this much-awaited light show. Invited media was present broadcasting the opening of the event on local television as well as on social media. This has been a yearly tradition with all the colourful lights and music and every time it is presented to the local denizens of this city there’s always a different set up and line-up of songs to accompany this most visited event.

Crane & Turtle Garden | Oriental Divine

12.08.2018 – There are four privately developed parks in the city of Makati and each one of them caters to a specific resident or visitor. The biggest of the four is the Ayala Triangle Gardens, which sits in the heart of the business district that has gone through a lot of facelift in the last five years. It’s considered as the ‘Central Park’ but the size of the area is just a fraction of the one in New York. The other three major parks are the Jaime C. Velasquez Park which is located in Salcedo Village, while the other two is the Legaspi Active Park, and across the neighboring area is Francis Sycip Park that has its own smaller park called the Crane and Turtle Garden which was opened on Valentine’s Day in2017.

A Mouse Re-imagined | Festival of Lights

11.10. 2018 – Every year Ayala Triangle Gardens becomes the center point of events in the City of Makati. It’s the place everyone gathers when the Holiday Season begins. It may not be an equivalent of any other events happening in other countries, but it has become its unique event of its own. Friday night’s spectacle was unveiled to the public near the heart of the park. It has become a tradition for most people to travel all the way to see this happen. Phone cameras raised and ready to go in capturing memories of this place once again as the city brings back and re-imagine the magic that is the Festival of Lights.

Make It Happen | Makati Street Lights

11.07.2018 – When you see bright lights along the streets of Ayala Avenue in the City of Makati this can only mean one thing: The start of the festive season has begun. It has become an annual tradition that the Makati Central Business District has made is a yearly affair to signify that Christmas is just around the corner and the countdown has begun. Early Monday evening the light up of these ornaments that makes up the installation from the corner of Pasong Tamo and Ayala Avenue up to the far end where the street ends with EDSA is as bright as the way Filipinos celebrate the Yuletide season will definitely catch your attention.

The Commuter: How to be Inconvenient…

08.30.2015 – It was Sunday and this should be down time and the holiday extends to Monday. You’ll expect there will be less traffic which is good. But what about less public utility buses travelling in and out the city seemed like it was holy week. I always have a usual routine on Sundays whenever there’s an art launch happening at Secret Fresh. For this day it’s the launch for two visual artists collaborating, but due to almost zero buses plying within the city, add rain then you got inconvenienced.

AyalaLand's Christmas Light Up!

11.03.2010 - Christmas is just around the corner and usually once the month of September begins it means that its another Holiday Season awaits. Ayala Business District is getting ready for the biggest occassion of the season. The city has been consistent with the tradition yearly with decorated lamp posts as well as selected buildings follow suit.

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