NYE 2024 Preview | Nostalgia Meets the Future

New Year Countdowns happen all over the planet, and some make them their yearly tradition like in New York City where they drop “The Ball” upon reaching zero. In Australia, the Sydney Harbour Bridge gets to blow up some major fireworks for their countdown, and in Manila, it depends on which part of the city or province you are there will always be fireworks. But if you are from Makati City, chances are you’ve been celebrating the yearly countdown since it became part of the experience ever since it started in 2000. There’s not much of a consistency. Before the 2000 countdown, which was held at the intersection of Ayala and Makati Avenues there never was this tradition.

Street Art Exposition | Requiem for a Mural

Whenever street art or a mural is discovered it brings such curiosity and sometimes a bit of inspiration from most people who never have had any association with the world or art. Personally, not everyone can draw and create things out of random objects to produce a masterpiece for some would call it “junk” because not everyone has the same taste in art as to its views and opinion. Street art nowadays is acknowledged and respected for its creation. You can find one or randomly discover it unexpectedly. It depends on who’s looking and has an affinity or respect for what is “art” and what is not. For all things, everything is art it all depends on your taste or preference and never judge or discriminate as they are created equal.

Muelle de Banco Nacional | Plaza Yuchengco

The City of Manila has a deep history with the streets, and its early beginnings. There are places long forgotten that they’re just a footnote for those who don’t remember their stories. Sometimes a footnote can be significant again when you least expect it due to the drastic change and these streets becomes new again. As part of the urban renewal in Manila, some streets or place that have become nothing more than a random street gets to be rejuvenated that this city has become known for in the past four years since a change in the government. In this little update is all about the Muelle del Bianco Nacional, a street that most past through is alive again.

Arroceros Forest Park | The Urban Lung of Manila

Living in an urban community still needs a touch of nature. Local parks in Makati City is pretty much less of nature, but a little bit too commercial for the way they’ve been changed in the last four years. Before these local parks have been in tune with how greenery has evolved organically and managed like the way it should be. The local parks had major renovations and they become more of an urban park complete with concrete walking paths that certainly no longer tuned to the nature. With that it also happened recently with the newly renovated Arroceros Forest Park in Manila that was inaugurated almost a week ago that definitely changed forever.

Urban Visual Art | Legaspi Underpass

Art defines what you want it to be and sometimes it adds vibrant colours or life to a mundane location. This has become part of urban renewal in some major cities in the world and Makati, the Philippines business district has tapped local talents to redefine that perspective through their craft as an artist in ‘adding colour’ to the city. This has become part of the urban culture since Makati City made changes and improvements through their elevated walkways and underpasses by adding art in giving some vibrancy in a heavy urban area that also promotes it as one of the well-known cities from around world. Of course, art is here to stay and it happened again.

PLDT-SmART Project | Nature Guide Mural

A street art or a Mural that is painted in the confines of the public is purely underappreciated let alone in one of the major cities in the Philippines. There’s a story somewhere to share and in one of those tales is one particular scene in 2013 when six of the well-known visual artists were tapped to paint the Legazpi Underpass, it is one of the oldest passage ways in Makati City built in the mid-1990s. During its time media did coverage of the almost finished murals under it and had interviewed random people passing through this subterranean walkway and one of them was this elder lady saying that she appreciates the art, but would it be best it would be easily seen visibly like her. Understanding that she’s one of the local folks who just take the common route which is a bit shame not really getting the concept.

Street Art Exposition | Graffiti Art at Chino Roces

Graffiti art is slowly getting accepted to society in the Philippines as another form of expression. But there are still graffiti that is considered vandalism such as an unfocused and random destruction of another art piece. If you’re not the usual commuter who takes a jeepney, trike, or even a bus chances are you won’t notice it. Whenever I’m about to take a commute to somewhere I’m always paying attention to my surroundings like what I used to do back in Adelaide and there’s something new that I might discover that I have not seen in the previous days. Last Thursday was just a random day and just across the street there used to be one graffiti art but they added two more artworks that I called the ‘Mikez Wall’ a tribute to a friend who passed on.

The Hidden Sanctuary in Paco Park

02.25.2020 – Manila is larger than life and some might not have the chance to explore its hidden places that connects to the heritage of the past. Most of the places people notice is the old walled city of Intramuros or the slowly but surely thriving revival of Escolta but there more to what defines Manila as the capital city of the country. If you have a sense of urban adventure you’ll probably don’t expect finding the places you wanted to go and often I end up going to those usual places I mostly pass by through the daily commutes. Yesterday was one of those days that I would end up going to place I always pass by but don’t get to see it actually and ending up in Paco Park was those unusual times that I should be where I was going.

Lost Urban History | Fair Mart: Plaza Fair

01.26.2020 – This could be a Sunday perspective but it is more of going back to fond memories of defunct establishments in the Philippines and what really happened to them. Last Monday after getting off the elevated train just realize how the surrounding area of Plaza Lacson (named after the famous Mayor of Manila) is populated by either old deserted buildings, but old establishments under disrepair. In the past this was part of the central commerce dominated by Manila, where Escolta was the Ayala Mall of its golden era before the World War II. But what fondly I remember was the glory days of Department Stores and Plaza Fair was one of those place people go to besides its small stores named Fair Mart.

Assembly Grounds | Eat, Shop, & Relax

09.02.2019 – There are Condominiums and then there are Malls. But Condo-Malls in the Philippines has been around in the last five years with these hi-rise residential areas being developed chances are there’s a mini-shopping centre underneath as added convenience for those moving in these places. Previous hi-rise residence needs for them to go out their living space to eat, dine, or shop, but with the recent Condo-Malls like Shangri Properties “The Rise” and its Assembly Grounds changes the way you live in the city. It used to be an empty lot more than a decade ago is now almost complete residential in North Makati.

ANZAC Day 2019 | Forgotten & Remembered

04.25.2019 – Every year since discovering the culture and the important days being celebrated all over Australia. There was one key event that stuck with me during my time living there. This was ANZAC Day, which is a reminder of the sacrifices of the Men and Women who were part of the important history seen in the War Memorials in Adelaide. The Philippines is also recognized in these War Memorials, and you can find them in downtown Adelaide. But the importance of ANZAC Day recognizes the Australians and New Zealand who were sent in the important conflicts dating back to World War I and the succeeding events that lost lives or did not make it back. The first ANZAC Day I went to is the one in Brighton taking a bike ride in the morning…

Earthquake at a Glance | Perspective of Reality

04.22.2019 – There hasn’t been a major catastrophe in the Philippines when you talk about Earthquake in the last thirty years. Most of the things that go wrong are from typhoons that displaced communities and disrupting economies in the archipelago. It is not common either that it happened within Central Luzon that rocked Metro Manila all of sudden. Its reality that is unexpected to happen and most take it with humor and then others just plainly silently hope that the next one won’t be as bad as the first one. Earthquakes happen because it has been part of nature as long as everyone can remember. It just so happens that the context about these things can sometimes bring a few people to what really matters to their lives.

Legazp Active Park | Changes to the Greenery

04.05.2019 – City Parks have been the closest to the natural greenery that people used to enjoy. But with the advent of indoor shopping centers that has fully air conditioned areas to go around. There’s something of a novelty about getting in touch with nature that is slowly disappearing in this well adored city that the recent changes in some parts of its greenery has remained questionable. During 2017 there have been makeovers for both Legazpi Active Park and Washington Sycip Park, where these parks have been more a residential park than it’s bigger Ayala Triangle Gardens. Here’s a closer look on Legazpi Active Park that has been around, which supposed to be a breathing space of greenery and also home for the Sunday Market that is moving to a new location…

Lost Urban History | Sta. Cruz Building

04.01.2019 – If you’re in Manila you’ll find it hard to believe this place was the original central business commerce for the country. Even before World War II erupted Escolta, and its surrounding area was the most visited place as shopping centres basking in the business. But after the war with transition that changed the Philippines things where not the same. There have been so many historical landmarks in this area of Carriedo, Sta. Cruz, and Escolta that you can find these stories not preserved in libraries, but through the web. Because even public libraries in this country have been shall we say ‘under construction’ since as evident from last week’s random walks around the city and nearby Rizal Park you’ll probably have idea already.

Streets of Manila | Random Tuesday Walks

03.26.2019 – It is rare to take notice about a lot of things when you’re on the road heading for work or school. Most of the time your travels doesn’t let you see a lot of things but either inside a Jeepney, Bus, or aboard the elevated train aka the LRT (Light Rail Transit). Most of the times Filipinos are rushing because of their daily destinations that none have the time to take things slow. The time is important for most that some are always in a hurry to get off to their chosen public transport to admire parts of the city or even take notice that little things that might be good, probably bad, or even just plain ugly. But everything else that is how things are now in this country and the opportunity to see things up close will give you an idea reasons why…

Lost Urban History | Harrison Plaza

03.20.2019 - Harrison Plaza is a local shopping centre in the Philippines, and the first mall with air conditioning that opened in the mid-197os. There’s a lot of history to go about this mall for those who have grown up in the area of Malate in Manila, and there were a lot good memories in this place that made it even more special. But sadly, things have not been the same lately that appears that this mall has become a shell of its former place. News has it that this might close down by the end of 2019 with possible demolition and redevelopment by the new owners signaling what could be another ‘end of an era’ considered as a historical landmark for its time.

Sunday Bazaar | Local Hobby Meet

02.19.2019 – In the Philippines there’s a rarity when you talk about weekend markets. Most of this gravitates to being held at open spaces like football field, local city parks or an empty parking lot. These mostly relates also to more about food sellers or farmers catering their hard earned organic fruits and vegetables. There is also merchandise being sold like clothes and little trinkets or souvenirs. But an overall weekend market is not a regular thing if you reside in a city like Metro Manila. There’s not much open space or even greenery to be that ever sustainable to promote a community that would be ever supportive in a consistent basis to that. But there are other things weekend market in the Philippines doesn’t namely relate to the hobby like toys and collectibles.

LEGO® Store Sighting | Big Brick Sale

02.10.2019 – From missing a LEGO® related gathering with one of the local communities to ending up in the nearby Certified Store was a long walk during one fine weatherly Saturday afternoon in Manila. The weekend was poised to be another eventful happening that has become a ‘norm’ in this country. When you only need to just roam around but due to missing out a local meet this one was quite a day. The LEGO® Certified Stores are slowly opening their branches all over Asia, but it’s surprising that the Philippines have five already and the expansion with opening stores throughout the region is probably on their list knowing how big the community regarding the famous brick subdivided through a tribal of groups of collectors and enthusiasts.

Getting Lost in the LEGO® Store

01.28.2019 – There’s a rare occurrence to end up in a LEGO® store on a Sunday because nothing much is happening. But it was quite a trip to be back here again at the Park Triangle Store. For those unaware this is rarely a visited shop among the five that was established in Metro Manila. It’s not usual to be here as I’ve visited this place less than a handful of times. It so just happens that the Build-A-Minifigure caught up the interest and part of the store’s identity aside for the Pick-A-Brick that keeps AFOLs from coming back. Well, depending on what parts and accessories that might be useful enough to be used as a prop for those photography projects in the pipeline. If you happen not to get pass by this was one of those rare days…

National Museum | Fine Arts Sunday

01.08.2019 – Museums are a place of wonder and they also teach you about the culture of a particular city, state or the entire region. The Philippines is rich with culture but as you may not notice not everything is kept and preserved that it is quite challenging to understand why some have been lost through the past and some are just a distant memory. But there are those pieces of history are still kept in their pristine condition because there’s support for it such as the paintings and installations that could have been a hundred or more years older than anyone. The National Museum Fine Arts is where you can find a collection of works by national artists in the country and some of the never before seen pieces that you’ll find interesting.