Saturday, August 30, 2008

12 LITTLE THINGS EVERY FILIPINO CAN DO

No. 1 - Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.

No. 2 - Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.

No. 3 - Don't buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.

No. 4 - When you talk to others, especially foreigners, speak positively
about us and our country.

No. 5 - Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.

No. 6 - Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly.
Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.

No. 7 - Support your church.

No. 8 - During elections, do your solemn duty.

No. 9 - Pay your employees well.

No. 10 - Pay your taxes.

No. 11 - Adopt a scholar or a poor child.

No. 12 - Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law
and love our country.

I bet you're wondering what this is all about.

It's about a little book, "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country," 105 pages, written by Alexander Lacson, 40, a lawyer by profession, a UP graduate, College of Law Class 1996, with postgraduate studies at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Four years ago, he and his wife Pia had a serious discussion about migrating to the US or Canada because the Philippines appeared hopeless as it only got worse year after year. They asked themselves this question: “Will the Philippines progress in the next 20 years?” If the answer was yes, they’d stay. If no, they would leave and relocate.

After a long discussion, they could not give a definite answer to the question, until they realized that the answer to that question is actually in them. They also realized that the answer is in us as a people, that hope is in us as a people.

Since then, Alexander and Pia decided to do more for their country. Thus, this book — one way of their ways of doing more for the country.

P150.00 at National Book Store

I won't go into details here, for these 12 basic steps are self-explanatory but the author's arguments are valid and his recommendations, feasible. Get a copy. It's a quick read and besides, you may be inspired to become a part of the solution to alleviate our country's ills.

And If you agree with what this book says as doable, buy one for a friend, and then request that friend to give a copy as well to another friend. Come to think of it, our balikbayan friends and relatives should buy some copies to bring back as pasalubong to our compatriots abroad.

To buy copies, you may call at these telephone numbers: 840-0338 to 41.

You may also contact the author via email: alacsonph@yahoo.com

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!

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Labels: Featured book, Featured Writer

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:45 AM | 70 comments

Friday, August 29, 2008

MUHIBAH

It is the inflight magazine of Royal Brunei Airlines. Three of my photographs were published in its May/June 2008 issue to accompany an article that explores the charming side of Manila -- its historical splendor and cultural legacies.

A special thanks to Ivan Man Dy for facilitating this terrific opportunity!

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Labels: Muhibah, photography

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:00 AM | 30 comments

CENTRAL MARKET - SANTA CRUZ, MANILA

This was where my brothers, cousins and I used to buy the fabrics for our shirts and trousers. It was a time when custom-tailored clothing was de rigueur, while ready-to-wear was still at its infancy.

The fabrics used in those trendy clothes worn by our favorite pop stars as featured in teen magazines, or in those glossy Japanese men's magazines, could be found at Central Market -- from Oxford cottons to Indian madras, and from corduroys to denims. And the local tailor could easily make any piece of clothing that you wanted as long as he was shown a picture of it.

When I came back to Manila a few years ago, many of the local tailors and dressmakers had closed shop; the influx of ready-to-wear clothing -- both locally-produced and imported -- had made them extinct. Consequently, many of the fabric and haberdashery establishments at Central Market had also disappeared, to be replaced by the abundance of frame shops and ironically, ready-to-wear and ukay-ukay stalls.

Located at Fugoso Street and Quezon Boulevard in Santa Cruz, Manila, Central Market went through a major renovation during the Atienza administration. However, despite its airy and refurbished setting, it no longer attracts as large a crowd as it used to. But nonetheless, with its wet market, Central Market appears to amply serve the Manileños of the southeastern district.

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Related link:

Tupe: a frame shop at Central Market

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Labels: central market, Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:19 AM | 12 comments

Thursday, August 28, 2008

HISTORIC WASTELAND

The photograph above of the parking lot on Avenida Rizal was taken a couple of days ago. This is the site where the historic Avenue Theater & Hotel building once stood, designed by one of the country's great architects, Juan Nakpil. Built more than 70 years ago, it was completely demolished two years ago.

The photo at the bottom of Avenida Rizal was taken immediately after the war. The tall building in the middle was one of the few buildings that remained standing and unscathed after the intense carpet bombing during the Battle for Manila. It was the Avenue Theater & Hotel building. (Photo courtesy of UW Digital Collections)

RELATED LINKS:

Avenue Theater: End of an Era

Capitol Theater on Escolta

Sigh-Sigh-Sigh - Walk This Way

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Labels: Avenue Theater, Manila history, Manila movie theater, Rizal Avenue

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:27 AM | 8 comments

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

TRIBUTE TO ALL OUR GRANDPARENTS

When doing street photography, I usually shy away from subjects who are enjoying their afternoon siesta; I consider it too private a moment to intrude upon. However, there are scenes I chance upon at times that are too compelling to pass up, like this one which encapsulated the special bond between a child and grandparent.

This scene is a poignant reminder of the many local kids who are being raised by their ageing grandparents because the parents are working in a distant city or overseas.

It's also a reminder of our ageing grandparents living abroad who are tasked to look after the children because both mom and dad are working full-time to make ends meet, and hiring a babysitter is just out of the question.

It's also a reminder of our ageing grandparents working at the McDonalds and Burger Kings in the States and Canada who clean the tables and sweep the floors as we enjoy our breakfasts and lunches.

It's also a reminder of a family friend in New York who was the inspiration behind my story of fiction, A Grand Mother, who passed away about a year ago without realizing her ultimate dream: to return to Manila to live the remaining years of her life.

So, to all our grandparents living here and abroad, God bless and good health!

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RELATED LINKS:

A Child is Waiting

A Cool Siesta

Point & Shoot Street Photography

Siesta Time - My Sari-Sari Store

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Labels: life in Manila, photography

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:22 AM | 13 comments

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

CHINESE GENERAL HOSPITAL

The Chinese General Hospital located in Blumentritt, Santa Cruz, Manila, dates back to the Spanish Period. It was one of Carlos Palanca Tan Quien-Sien's community affairs and philanthropy projects. In 1891, along with other wealthy Chinese businessmen such as Chan Guan and Mariano Velasco, he raised the necessary funds and even provided a building for the hospital himself.

Its subsequent funding came from the regular donations provided by the business owners of the Chinese community. Two years after its door first opened, it was officially registered as Hospital de Chino under the Spanish Government.

From its inception as a medical clinic where treatment was free of charge for the Chinese community, it has since expanded into a full-service hospital. In 1917, a major fund raising campaign was launched in which the Chinese community immediately responded by donating a total of P200,000. The windfall funded the construction of the first Chinese General Hospital (CGH) with updated facilities.

The new hospital was inaugurated in 1921 with Dr. Tee Han Kee as its first medical director. He was then the most famous Chinese physician in the country, and had also served as consultant for the Philippine Health Service because of his expertise on bubonic plague, which is believed to have been a mutated swine virus.

In that same year, Dr. Tee Han Kee also founded the Chinese General Hospital College of Nursing and Liberal Arts (CGHCNLA). With him were three physicians who organized the training school. The Sisters of the Immaculate Conception based in Hong Kong and Canton, China also provided Dr. Tee Han Kee with the much-needed assistance to start the school. The first batch of five sisters arrived in August 1921. Mrs. Praxedes Co Tui, a registered nurse from the Philippine General Hospital was appointed as Chief Nurse and Principal of the School of Nursing.

Many thanks to EM of Bato Bato Pik! for having reminded me that this famous hospital is also located in the historic Blumentritt/La Loma area. Her youngest was born here.

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Labels: Manila history, medical institutions

posted by Señor Enrique at 5:52 AM | 12 comments

Monday, August 25, 2008

NGANGA

Droppings from the neighbor's areca palm tree

Camera: Canon Ixus 65
Aperture: F2.8
Shutter: 1/20 sec

Recommended quick reads on betel-chew tradition:

Hidden in the Heart - Rosa Maria Magno

Betel Chewing in the Philippines - Cynthia Ongpin Valdes

Chewing Betel-Nut with the Mangyans of Mindoro - Howie Severino

The Philippine History - June Mae

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Labels: Local culture, Philippine history, photography

posted by Señor Enrique at 9:56 AM | 26 comments

Sunday, August 24, 2008

LA LOMA

The two things that come to mind when you mention the place La Loma are lechon and the cemetery complex (namely: La Loma, North and Chinese). In jest, Manileños would claim that eating too much of the former can lead to an untimely eternal rest at the latter.

Historically speaking, La Loma, was one of the areas in Manila during the revolution, in which incidents of fierce fighting between the Filipino forces and the Spaniards took place. It was because of a Spanish blockhouse that was located there.

Blockhouses were built as defenses by the Spaniards during the revolution. These had been part of an arc following the land boundaries of Manila, stretching from the Bocana de Vitas in the north to Fort San Antonio Abad (Malate) in the south, and formed what the Spanish called the Primo de Rivera Line.

Blockhouses were built by the Spaniards about one kilometer apart from one another. Most were made of wood protected by an earthwork parapet. The wooden blockhouses resembles oversized dovecoats (bahay calapate). Others were made of stone and rubble called fortines in Spanish. Of the eight blockhouses north of the Pasig, two were fortines: one at La Loma (designated Blockhouse 2) and the other near the Santa Mesa-San Francisco road going through Barrio Santol, (designated as Blockhouse 7). Wooden blockhouses could accommodate 25 men, while the stone fortines about 40.

During the revolution, the blockhouses were the scene of furious combat between the attacking Filipinos and the defending Spaniards. The rebels constantly harassed the Spaniards on both sides of the city, but the big guns of Malate and Santa Mesa kept the rebels at bay.

On August 13, 1898, as Manila began to capitulate to the Americans, intense fighting went on at Blockhouses 2, 3 and 4 at Maypajo and La Loma, as well as on the central point of Santa Mesa, Pandacan and Nagtahan where the objective was the rotonda (traffic circle of Sampaloc). The Spaniards only left their positions when the American troops relieved them.

After the mock battle of August 13, 1898 between the Americans and the Spaniards, the Filipino revolutionary forces were not allowed to occupy the main portion of Manila. They were even pressured out of the positions they had already occupied, which was mostly in the south.

Major General Elwell S. Otis invoked the terms of the Spanish capitulation to mean turning over to the Americans the "full occupancy of the city and the defenses of Manila and its suburbs, including responsibility for the lives and property of the inhabitants."

Aguinaldo, while protesting, deemed it more diplomatic to accede to Otis' representations. The Filipinos demanded, among other things, the occupation of the former Spanish blockhouses, in case Manila should revert to Spanish control as a result of the peace negotiations then underway. Also, these blockhouses provided the only shelter for the Filipino troops in those areas.

Otis affirmed that he could not legally and formally permit this. However, he was so impressed with the earnestness and honesty of purpose and convictions of Dr. T.H. Pardo de Tavera (Aguinaldo's emissary), that on October 27, 1898, Otis said that he would not raise any objection -- unless otherwise overruled by higher authority -- for the Filipino forces' continued occupancy of the blockhouses north of the Pasig River. These followed the city boundary of Manila from Tondo to San Juan bridge.

In addition, working arrangements were devised to prevent front-line friction between the Filipinos and the occupying Americans. Armed men were not allowed to cross each other's lines, and a buffer area was established between them. On the other hand, unarmed Filipinos (even in uniform), could enter and leave Manila as they pleased, while unarmed Americans were allowed in Filipino-held territory.

Notwithstanding, such working arrangements were not to last for too long.

Wounded U.S. soldiers at San Juan Bridge - Santa Mesa, Manila, 1899
Washington Volunteer Infantry en route to hospital during engagement.
Wisconsin Philippines Image Collection
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Philippines Image Collection

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Source:

THE HILLS OF SAMPALOC
The Opening Actions of the Philippine-American War, February 4-5, 1899
Benito J. Legarda, Jr.
Published by Bookmark, Inc.

Related link:

Pvt. William Walter Grayson - U.S. Nebraska Volunteers - by Ka Tony

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Labels: Manila history

posted by Señor Enrique at 1:09 PM | 6 comments

Saturday, August 23, 2008

THE YOUNG SCRIBE

At 15, he was hired by the Manila Times as a full-time cub reporter and assigned to cover the police and miscellaneous beats. He soon proved his salt by becoming the paper's leading scoopmaker.

At 17, he found himself in Korea as the paper's war correspondent. His remarkable dispatches from the battlefront were quite credible, coming as they did from the actual firing line assigned to the Filipino contingent. He was wounded and had to be sent back to Manila and assigned to the army beat. At 18, President Quirino awarded him with a Legion of Honor medal and a parade in his honor, attended by the Armed Forces Chief of Staff.

At 20, he once again found himself on foreign soil: as a Southeast Asian roving correspondent, interviewing state leaders as Chiang Kai-shek. He wrote prodigious political articles about China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Burma.

At 21, he wrote a screenplay that was made into a movie, Korea (1952). It was nominated for that year’s FAMAS awards: Best Picture and Best Screenplay (for Ninoy).

At 22, he was tapped as President Magsaysay's political affairs officer and was provided living quarters in Malacañang. At 23, he earned another Legion of Honor medal for having negotiated the surrender of Luis Taruc, then Southeast Asia's No. 1 communist.

He ran for and became the youngest municipal mayor at age 23, although he was subsequently unseated by the Supreme Court for being underage. But at 27, he became the youngest vice governor, and at 29, the youngest governor.

in the interim, the 6,000-hectare sugar plantation that he managed raked in the biggest harvest after he had converted it into a mini-welfare state.

Pursuing a political career, at 35, he became the youngest senator. At 40, he became the leading oppositionist to the Marcos regime. When Martial Law was declared, he was incarcerated at Fort Bonifacio. At 41, he was charged with murder, subversion, and illegal possession of firearms. At 45, he was sentenced to death by firing squad. An international outcry stayed the executioner's hand. He appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court.

After seven years and seven months of languishing in prison, he suffered a heart attack and was allowed to leave with his family for the United States where he underwent a triple by-pass surgery. Afterwards, he was offered a fellowship at Harvard and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

At age 51, concerned about a communist takeover of the Philippines, he decided to return home to help Marcos find a peaceful solution. On August 21, 1983, as he alighted from his plane at Manila International Airport, he was assassinated before his feet could touch the ground of his beloved homeland.

It took his death to unite all the Filipino people who were hurt and hounded by Marcos for eleven years since the US-supported Martial Law was declared in 1972.

NINOY AQUINO
(Nov 27, 1932 - Aug 21, 1983)

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Labels: Philippine history

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:18 AM | 21 comments

Friday, August 22, 2008

AZCARRAGA, HEADING EAST TO LEGARDA

Azacarraga was renamed Recto
on February 17, 1961 under Ordinance No. 4377

Ordinance No. 4441 was amended by Ordinance No. 4377,
relative to the renaming of Azcarraga Street as Claro M. Recto Street,
by changing the classification of street to avenue on October 2, 1961.

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"Among the arguments put forward for renaming Azcarraga was that the street was named after a Spaniard. Actually, Azcarraga was the name of two brothers, Marcelo and Manuel, who were born of Spanish parents in the Philippines which, by definition, made them Filipino. Of the two brothers, Marcelo distinguished himself in Spain, rising to become minister of war and twice prime minister. Filipinos should be proud of Azcarraga because he was a native of the Philippines who held one of the highest offices in Spain."

Augusto de Viana - "Old Manila streets lose names to politicians"

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Originally named Paseo de Felipe, after Philip II of Spain, this street was divided into five portions with different names such as Paseo de Azcarraga by the bay, General Izquierdo, Paz, and at its Sampaloc end, Iris.

The Americans gave it a single name, Calle Azcarraga, in 1910, while in 1961, it was renamed to honor Senator Claro Mayo Recto.

Along its entire stretch, there's the Tutuban Railroad Station, Divisoria Market Complex, Tutuban Center Mall, Arranque Market, University of the East (UE), Odeon Theater (which is now a mini mall), Ever Gotesco and other cinema houses, jewelry merchants, schools, eateries and offices.

Andres Bonifacio was born on Nov. 30, 1863 in a small nipa hut in Tutuban, a swamp-like part in Tondo (which means a place where they make tuba, an alcoholic drink made from coconuts).

On July 7, 1892, Bonifacio met secretly with his friends in a house on Recto Street in Tondo. Together with his two friends Ladislao Diwa and Teodoro Plata, he formed the first triangle of a secret society called Kataastaasan Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, or Katipunan, for short.

In 1886, the Manila Railway Company pursued its plans to build a railroad line from Manila to Dagupan, Pangasinan. The Fleming Company was commissioned to help build the railroad. With the new railroad tracks cutting across Tondo, the Fleming Company had to buy several houses that were subsequently demolished to make way for the railroad. Among which was the Bonifacio house in Tutuban.

Another notable personality associated with Azcarraga is one of the Philippines' important artists, Fernando Amorsolo. Although he was born in Paco, Manila, and grew up in the carefree setting of the province, Amorsolo lived a simple life and raised his family in an apartment on Azcarraga.

During his early years as an artist, in his effort to put food on his family’s table, as well as earn enough money to afford the materials he needed to pursue his passion for painting, Amorsolo took on other jobs, including that as a commercial illustrator. As a commercial artist, his most popular creation was the Marca Demonio label, which is pasted on the bottles of Ginebra San Miguel gin to this day.

Had it not been for his wife’s constant prodding during the later part of his life to buy their own house and lot, he would have been contented enough to live the rest of his life in their rented apartment on Azcarraga.

Given the colorful and diverse history of this street, if changing its name from Azcarraga was of absolute necessity, they could have renamed it after Andres Bonifacio or Fernando Amorsolo; not after Claro M. Recto, a career politician, though gifted with a brilliant mind, was hindered with an appeal limited to the intellectual elite and the nationalist minority of his time.

As Manuel L. Quezon III once wrote:

"Recto's leadership was the curious kind that only finds fulfillment from being at the periphery of power, and not from being its fulcrum. It was the best occupation suited to the satirist that he was. His success at the polls would be limited, his ability to mold the minds of his contemporaries was only excelled by Rizal's...But he was admired for his intellect and his dogged determination to never let the opposition be bereft of a champion, still his opposition was flawed. For it was one that never bothered to transform itself into an opposition capable of taking power."

Odeon Terminal Mall, formerly the site of Odeon Theater

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SOURCE:

Where is Azcarraga now? - Manila Bulletin

Labels: life in Manila, Manila history, street name change

posted by Señor Enrique at 3:40 AM | 17 comments

Thursday, August 21, 2008

REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS OF MILITARY SEXUAL SLAVERY

My reaction to the photos of this memorial on fellow HCS member Jeffrey Yap's site was one of amusement. He termed it "an interesting 'irony' on Plaza Lawton." I didn't know anything about this memorial so I told Jeffrey that I would go there to take some pictures for my personal archive.

The initial reaction of amusement turned to dismay when I finally got there, for it was only then that I realized the inappropriate symbolism created for this memorial.

Tucked away in a corner of Plaza Lawton facing the Manila Post Office, this memorial unveiled by then Manila Mayor Lito Atienza on April 22, 2003, was intended to preserve the memory of more than 1,000 women -- comfort women -- who were continually raped by the Japanese occupation forces during the Second World War.

However, the entire setting seems more of a tribute to Eros, as if to mask the painful truth behind the tragic event being memorialized: the violent and brutal experiences endured by the thousands of our women, including prepubuscent girls and boys; none of it, I'm sure, was of a Memoirs of a Geisha-like episode for any of them.

To this day, there are thousands of living survivors who are still trying to demand an official apology from the Japanese government and full recompense for their pain and suffering.

Certainly the Atienza administration was fully cognizant of these wartime atrocities yet, I wonder why it didn't commission a more sensitive artist like Julie Lluch to create a solemn image for this memorial?

Hopefully, Mayor Lim, in conjunction with his Historical and Heritage Commission, will consider it worthwhile to address this impropriety.

As an aside, Plaza Lawton was recently rehabilitated with the design assistance of the Heritage Conservation Society. Removing as much of the existing concrete as possible, the plaza was restored as a grassy, green space with benches installed along the walkways. In addition, the refurbished Plaza Lawton now boasts of a fountain as its centerpiece, flanked by a colonnade of fully grown royal palm trees.

Related link:

When Tears Fall

Irony on Plaza Lawton - Jeffrey Yap

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Labels: life in Manila, Manila history, memorial

posted by Señor Enrique at 9:09 AM | 13 comments

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

DRIVER'S LICENSE RENEWAL AT THE LOCAL LTO

Getting my license renewed a couple of weeks ago wasn't all that bad, except the photo printer at the LTO branch I went to was out of commission so, I had to return a week later to pick up my new license.

I went to the Manila North District Office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) located at the old Automatic Telephone Exchange compound on Tayuman and Kusang Loob Streets in Manila, a block away from Bonifacio Elementary School on Ipil Street.

I could have gone to SM Manila wherein on its top floor is another LTO office that offers the same services, but I thought passing by the school where I spent six years of my young life would be a swell idea. It was. I had a good time reminiscing some of my elementary school years as I walked by slowly in front of the school.

Anyway, years ago, processing of driver's licenses used to take time because the applications filed in each of the LTO's district and regional branches had to be forwarded to the central office in Quezon City on East Avenue, before being sent back again to each specific LTO branch for applicants to pick up.

Another cause of delay back then was the packaging process itself which was made manually through laminated paper and cardboard, from which license cards were being made. These cards even posed problems as they were easy for the document wizards of Recto to create forged versions of.

According to a Manila Times article, the LTO now uses a card production system that enables any of its branch office to issue a driver's license promptly, at times within a 30-minute period or less. The technology was introduced by Mega Data Corporation and Amalgamated Motors of the Philippines Incorporated (AMPI) in 1992.

Besides being equipped with better security features, the system has also allowed the LTO to decentralize its driver's license processing operations; thus, one-stop license renewal kiosks have been established all over the country - such as in shopping malls and at various commercial centers -- making it very accessible to motorists to renew their licenses.

There are approximately 12 million driver's license holders in the country. Three million of which are renewed each year. And at an average renewal fee of P275, LTO certainly generates a substantial income for providing such services.

Drug test and medical examination establishments across from the LTO office on Tayuman Street

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Related links:

A Guide To Driver's License Renewal

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Labels: driver's license, life in Manila, LTO

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:09 AM | 20 comments

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

ON RIDING JEEPNEYS AND HOLDUPS

These days, ever since the price of gas has skyrocketed, I have been riding the jeepneys more so than usual.

Commuting via public transportations certainly has its pros and cons. For one thing, it's cheaper to ride a jeepney than drive to downtown Manila. A whole day's parking fee alone can set me back a hundred pesos, though unarguably, it's more convenient and safer to drive my car than ride a jeepney full of strangers, especially after dark.

As in any large metropolis anywhere in the world, there is always the chance of getting mugged; therefore, I've prepared myself to give up whatever item is demanded from me. I know that even a moment of hesitation may tick off a nervous thief. Making a habit of not carrying anything of great value whenever riding a jeepney or bus helps in this respect.

I've also psyched myself not to negotiate with a perpetrator should I find myself in a stickup situation aboard a jeepney. Chances are, he's strung out on shabu (methamphetamine) and that he's accompanied by one or two similarly drugged-out accomplices; not to mention that more than likely, they would also be armed with weapons that can inflict serious harm, or worse, end my life at an instant.

Nevertheless, for some people, especially the young ones, the shock of finding one's self in such volatile situation -- coupled with the disgust they suddenly feel for someone trying to rob them -- might impel them into a momentary lapse of reason; thus, we'd hear about young people getting seriously hurt, if not killed altogether, for resisting to give up their prized possessions.

About a year or so ago, a young UP coed was shot to death when she refused to give up her cell phone, while more recently, a 23-year-old graduate of the Ateneo de Manila -- Tara Santelice -- was shot in the head by a thief whom she wrestled with to keep her bag that contained a laptop. Both incidents took place aboard a public utility vehicle.

The following is a GMANews report by Johanna Camille Sisante about this tragic incident:

08/06/2008 | 08:56 AM MANILA, Philippines - A 23-year-old woman is now in critical condition after being shot in the head early Wednesday morning after she attempted to wrestle her laptop away from a thief in Cainta, Rizal. A report by radio dzBB’s Sam Nielsen said the unidentified thief used a .38 caliber pistol to shoot the victim identified by the Cainta police as Tara Santelices (not Dara Santeneces as earlier reported) of Brookside Subdivision in Cainta town. Santelices’ companion Joyce Mejias, who was riding the Marikina-bound jeepney with the victim at the time of the incident, said the suspect declared a holdup while the jeepney was moving along Felix Ave. in Cainta. But when the victim tried to wrestle back her bag containing a laptop, the assailant immediately shot her, took some of the passengers' bags and immediately fled the scene.

My heart goes out to Tara, as well as to her family and close friends. I wish her a speedy and full recovery.

You may read more about her story here.

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Labels: crime story, life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:01 AM | 26 comments

Monday, August 18, 2008

FROM ORIENTE TO TY STREET

The name of the street between the two buildings -- Metrobank and First Metro -- in the above photo may soon change from Oriente to Ty Street; that is, to honor the founder of Metrobank, George Ty, whose net worth amounts to nearly a billion US dollars, ranking him as among the 40 richest men in the Philippines, according to Forbes.

With all due respect to Mr. Ty's staggering success and wealth, perhaps, he should reconsider, and just leave the name of Oriente Street as it is, especially for its historical value.

Oriente Street was named after the first hotel built in the Philippines, Hotel de Oriente at Plaza de Calderon de la Barca in Binondo, which the Metrobank building now occupies.

The hotel was constructed in the 1850s as a two-story building; occupying the entire block from Oriente Street to Veronica Street. And across Oriente Street was where the old La Insular Cigarette and Cigar Factory once stood, which the First Metro building now occupies.

According to Ka Tony, Jose Rizal used to stay at Hotel de Oriente before he traveled to Europe and before he wrote "Noli Me Tangere. Furthermore, he added:

Rizal, looking out his hotel window, will have the view of the Plaza Calderon de la Barca, on his right is "calle Veronica" a corner block meeting "calle Anloague" (Juan Luna). The "bahay na bato" on this corner with a "tisa rojo" was the setting of Rizal's Noli. The back of this house is the "Estero de Reina" which Rizal mentioned on his Noli that "Kapitan Tiago" & his neighbors used the estero to wash their clothes, dishes, drink, bath, and etc.

On the other hand, according to the Filipinas Heritage Library, the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory in Binondo was founded by Don Joaquin Santamarina with his associates, Don Luis Elizalde and Don Manuel Clemente. It was the first privately-owned cigar factory that was established after the government monopoly on tobacco was abolished in 1880. Its office and factory stood beautifully at Oriente Street in front of Plaza Calderon de la Barca.

Both Hotel de Oriente and La Insular were burned down during the Japanese Occupation.

Hence, for the sake of pride of place, perhaps, George Ty and his clan will abort their efforts to change the name of Oriente Street. And while we're at it, we might as well ask the Yuchengco clan to give back Yuchengco Street its old name -- Nueva.

Related link:

Old Manila streets lose names to politicians - Inquirer.net

Then & Now Pictures of Hotel de Oriente - Tanawin by BCS

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Labels: Manila history, street name change

posted by Señor Enrique at 11:10 AM | 16 comments

Sunday, August 17, 2008

THE CHURCH AT THE PLAZA

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Labels: Binondo, Binondo Church, life in Manila, photography

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:45 AM | 20 comments

Saturday, August 16, 2008

THE EATERIES ALONG BANAWE

After reading my post, "Manila's Flooding Problems," a fellow blogger emailed to ask for the eateries that I frequent with cousins and friends near the area where I took the video.

I replied that the entire stretch of Banawe -- from Quezon Boulevard to San Francisco del Monte -- is littered with popular franchised fast food restaurants, as well as a myriad of interesting bistros. But what abounds the most are those that serve excellent Chinese dishes, which makes driving all the way down to Binondo superfluous.

On one block alone near corner Retiro (now N.S. Amoranto) -- between Sta. Catalina and Sgt. D.M. Alcaraz -- is a number of eateries that serve great food. There's North Park with its superb Chinese dishes (beef with broccoli flowers is a favorite); Ersao for its pearl milk teas and various fruit shakes; Lord Stow's Bakery for its sumptuous egg custard and fine sandwiches; and the family's favorite, Han Pao Tea House (located at 698 Banawe, telephone 781-0035).

Han Pao offers one of the best bola-bola and asado siopao in Metro Manila, if not in the entire country. I know some people who'd drive all the way over to Banawe just to buy a bunch of Han Pao siopao. The pancit canton is definitely worth checking out, but the Han Pao Noodle Feast, good for four people and costs 215 pesos, is a definite must. Han Pao also offers various rice topping meals and great dimsum.

I will feature the other eateries along Banawe in the future.

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Labels: eateries, life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:38 AM | 6 comments

Friday, August 15, 2008

THE PEDICAB BOYS OF MANILA

Last night's rain was even harder and lasted quite longer than the previous night's when I took the video of The Umbrella Boys of Manila." This extended downpour created flooding in many of Manila's streets.

And if the umbrella boys made money from those caught without a shield from the gushing rain, the pedicab boys made a killing -- charging five pesos to simply ferry each person across the street. Each pedicab driver or padyak boy, from what I was told, made an average of 500 pesos for their service.

The above video was taken immediately after the rainfall. Take note of the brisk business these pedicab boys were doing.

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Labels: life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:33 PM | 6 comments

Thursday, August 14, 2008

THE UMBRELLA BOYS OF MANILA

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but these days here in Manila, a bright and sunny afternoon can suddenly turn dark, followed by a torrential downpour.

And this unexpected change in weather can inspire some local kids to become enterprising: offering a unique service to Manileños who are caught without a shield against the gushing rain. These boys will lend you an umbrella as you cross the street.

When asked for the rental cost of one, they would gleefully reply, "Barya lang po," (loose change only), and not give you any specific amount. This way, they will get more from those who truly appreciate their efforts.

I took this video to show the fun they had while making some money.

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Labels: life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 3:24 AM | 22 comments

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

THE PRETTIFICATION OF RECTO BY THE MMDA

The MMDA continues with its MetroGwapo project, this time on the structures on Recto Avenue and those from the northwest corner of Quezon Boulevard.

By stripping off the banners and tarpaulins that used to hang in front of the buildings, including repainting their facades, the sidewalks have become much brighter and cleaner. The vendors that used to block pedestrian traffic also seemed to have disappeared, but for how long is any body's guess.

The MMDA MetroGwapo personnel also tried to level the sidewalk pavements for the safety of pedestrians. Most of Manila's sidewalks are so perilously uneven that I had seen some elderly folks and small children trip and fall from pieces of concrete that jut out from pedestrian lanes.

However, the MMDA and its chairman, Bayani Fernando, are not without their critics. Some politicians (members of the opposition of the current administration), had questioned Fernando's handling of the MMDA's flood control funds. There were insinuations that the money used for these MMDA prettification projects were lifted from the funds strictly allocated for the clean-up programs to eliminate the flooding of Manila streets.

Nevertheless, I am one of those who appreciate the efforts of the MMDA despite the on-going criticisms and oppositions it receives from various Metro Manila administrators. And although I am not well-versed with our political landscape, all I know is that Bayani Fernando, as mayor, had turned Marikina into a first class city -- much to the great delight of its residents and merchants.

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Labels: life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 12:40 PM | 30 comments

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A FRENCHMAN IN OLD MANILA

His name was Felix Renouard de Sainte-Croix. He arrived in Manila in September 6, 1804 and remained there for two years, leaving the Philippines for Tourane by way of Macao.

Immediately after Spain's Relations with France was formalized in January, 1804, Governor General Raphael d'Aguilar requested from General Decaen, by letter, technical assistance of French officers to help put Manila in a state of formidable defense. Decaen replied that the officers under his command and whom he may dispatch are in Batavia.

However, a reserve cavalry officer, Felix Renouard de Sainte-Croix, was lured by the spirit of adventure and providentially found himself in Manila to render the requested service to the Philippine Government. Given the rank of captain by d'Aguilar's cavalry regiment and the title of aide-de-camp to the Governor General, Felix Renouard de Sainte-Croix carried out his duties with great zeal.

From him came a historical statement of facts, which were studied and adopted by the Governor General, in regards to the management of the colony's inhabitants and leading them to defend the archipelago threatened with an invasion by the British in July 1805, a period during which the Philippines only had 7,000 armed men.

It should be noted that at that time, the Philippines' role in the French Republic was to be a trump in France's struggle against her prime enemy -- England.

Regarded a trump because the Philippines was considered ideologically detestable since it was ruled by the clergy -- the Spanish superstition perpetuated by the clergy did not bode well with the atheistic beliefs of the French. Moreover, the French also considered the Philippines as being economically weak, militarily vulnerable and politically unstable.

Yet, the French nurtured ideas to wage a war against Spain, essentially to seize the Philippines. Under their rule, they saw this Asian country as becoming a veritable goldmine, a depot of the Moluccas, Japan and China. But in the end, France opted to keep Spain as an ally.

Besides providing the Governor General with a memorial to strengthen the archipelago's defensive strategies, Felix Renouard de Sainte-Croix made an in-depth study of the Philippines. And from which came the following excerpts from his monograph, which was not at all kind to the friars:

I believe to have already presented to you the reason why the Philippines, under the sunniest sky and on a soil so fertile is in a state of misery.

You must attribute that to the government; it is because the altar is on the throne and bearing down heavily on it. In speaking of the Government that the Spaniards established in all of their colonies, you should always distinguish civilian powers from religious powers; thus I will speak to you about them separately, because in Spain the powers emanating from the Church always prevail over the others.

The secular clergy seems to depend entirely on monastic authority; it only has the rejects of the friars. The friars all come from Spain where they acquired, at least, the necessary education to enter priesthood; the others are nearly all Indians, who hardly know how to read Latin: You can hardly imagine their pedantries; it is ignorance personified and the worst kind found in a soutane.

As the King of Spain's subjects diminish, and he can no longer have as many friars as before, very soon, the Philippine bishops will ordain even their valets.

The friars have the right to nearly 1,300 parishes; one may count about 165 tribes per parish, with five persons per tribe. Around 400 were abandoned by the firars, which brings up from 2,500 to 3,000 the parishes assigned to seculars.

The friars, in general, based on the authority that they arrogated, could mobilize a large number of Indians if these pastors could be moved by patriotism in an instant. They would be able to teach them agriculture, show them the use of mechanical methods, which serves to double the output, force them to cultivate such-and such plant which should enrich them.

Why burden their work with the construction of these huge churches and presbyteries so large, when they should be able to focus their attention on more useful things?

All the friars, I do not exempt anyone of them, have, among other practices, the habit of having themselves served by the village maidens, who in Tagal are called 'alagas' -- young girls aged 14 to 15 years. I saw a Franciscan father in his prime with at least 20 virgins in his service: one to bring him his tobacco; another, a flame to light it with ...

If I talk endlessly about the ignorance of the clergy, friar or secular, you will perhaps accuse me of a kind of obsession. It is necessary, however, that I mention the reasons why all priests ordained in Manila are inevitably uneducated.

Be it known that a college where Spanish, let alone, Latin, may be learned does not exist. Unbelievable! And of the 1,200 friars from all orders, not one devotes himself to teaching the youth. No idea of mathematics! All limit themselves to some words of Latin; half 'Tagalized.'

How many men are gulty of elevating their image through the practice of priesthood's sacerdotal functions with hardly an idea of the duties! But what frenzy when one sinks into this crass ignorance, prerogative of stupidity, to believe oneself all that is most holy and most sacred in society!

If you dare to whisper or speak of interrogators of the Inquisition, they throw you in the dungeons; the wretches know their entire knowledge is there, that in these dungeons you have only your conscience for support; for judges, only men who share the opinions of those who condemned you in advance, and torturers who will anathematize you and beat you to death.

From the inadequate care taken in choosing and training subjects, glaring disasters occur. Indeed, how can we have confidence in a man who does not practice what he preaches?

It is for this reason that ecclesiastic abuses wormed their way into this colony; and to give an example, I will cite theft to which the Indians are so inclined and which exists only because of the self-seeking indulgence of the confessors who pardon it willingly, provided they are compensated with a few masses.

This sin, and many others, are likewise settled accordingly, with Papal bulls which the Roman Court trades in the Philippines, and which gives a fixed profit to the Church and the parish priest, who sells them without however warding off evil.

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Source:

FRANCE AND THE PHILIPPINES
From The Beginning to The End of The Spanish Regime
by Denis Nardin
translated by Maria Theresa J. Cruz
2004 National Historical Institute

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Labels: Manila history

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:27 AM | 8 comments

Monday, August 11, 2008

MANILA GRAND OPERA HOTEL

According to a Philippine Daily Inquirer article, the busy intersection of Rizal Avenue and Doroteo Jose Street is the site where the Manila Grand Opera House once stood and that it is now being developed into a luxury hotel and casino complex. It will be named the Manila Grand Opera Hotel.

However, that particular lot on Rizal Avenue and Doroteo Jose was not where the Manila Grand Opera House was, but rather Galaxy Theater, and behind it was the Mapua Institute of Technology's college and high school campus complex. Except for the MIT facade and the columns that support it, everything has been demolished. The lot is now a huge parking lot and bus terminal (above photo).

From what I remember, Manila Grand Opera House was located north of Doroteo Jose, right next door to Ang Tibay Shoe Store.

My memory should serve me right since I went to school at MIT for four years, as well as have bought many shoes at Ang Tibay Shoe Store while growing up. Moreover, from our house in Misericordia and Batangas Street, the jeepney I took to school would first pass by the Opera House and then on to Doroteo Jose where I would get off.

Nevertheless, erecting a luxury hotel in this area may inspire a full blown revitalization of the entire neighborhood. Rizal Avenue was, after all, Manila's premier entertainment and shopping district.

Furthermore, according to the PDI article written by Tina Santos, the management of this luxury hotel and casino complex intends to maintain its historic ambiance as a venue of arts and culture shows, providing visitors and its guests a glimpse of its colorful past.

There will be posters of different plays staged at the MGOH, as well as a section of the lobby to be designated to showcase photographs, paintings, artifacts, memorabilia and news clippings about the events that MGOH had hosted and personalities who performed there.

The article went on to say:

Manila Grand Opera House was the venue in the 1900s for performances by both local and foreign stars. And that in her book "Theater in Manila 1846-1946," Cristina Lanonico-Buenaventura said it was the place for visiting opera companies, Rizal Day celebrations and assemblies of national significance, including the inauguration of the first Philippine Assembly on Oct. 16, 1907, by United States Secretary of War William Howard Taft.

In the 1890s, the venue, which was then made of a circular wooden structure with a nipa roof, was called H.T. Hashim's National Cycle Track before its
name was changed to Teatro Nacional where the Russian Circus and some American theater companies performed.

Several years later, in 1902, the teatro became MGOH after it was transformed into an opera house by Italian impresario Balzofiore in time for visiting Italian opera company. Seats were divided into three classifications: Palco proscenio for the dignitaries, butaca or orchestra for most theatergoers, and gallery, the least expensive section.

However, in 1942, after about two decades of hosting opera and zarzuela productions, a new owner, Toribio Teodoro, the owner of Ang Tibay Shoes and known as the "shoe king of the Philippines, acquired the property. He lived there when the Japanese seized his house and shoe factory during World War II.

A series of unfortunate events then happened one after the other: The structure was badly damaged by flood the following year and burned down a
few months later.

But right after the war, reconstruction of the building began. Equipped with the latest technology, the structure was intended to be a first-class cinema
for cultural shows. Eventually, MGOH was dubbed as "The Theater with a History." It provided daily entertainment for the masses. For 85 centavos, people got to watch a stage show and a movie.

Its main fare were stage shows and movies with an occasional concert, opera and plays by stage and movie director (and later, National Artist) Lamberto
Avellana and Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero, among others.

It was said to be the "ultimate" place for singers, dancers and stage players to perform and it was where famous icons of vaudeville and the
zarzuela, including Atang de la Rama, Jovita Fuentes and Katy de la Cruz, reached the peak of stardom.

The MGOH also provided then future screen idols Rogelio de la Rosa and Leopoldo Salcedo and even comedians like Dolphy and Panchito, Bayani
Casimiro, Pugo and Tugo, Tugak and Pugak, Dely Atay-atayan and Chichay, among others, the boost they needed in their careers.

The opera house, which by the '60s had been transformed into a movie theater, was bought by former Ambassador to Laos Antonio Cabangon Chua from
the heirs of Teodoro.

"It was only this year that plans for building the hotel were conceptualized, " Tan said, adding that the hotel aims to serve both as a reminder of the site's historic past as well as a showcase of the latest amenities of a first-class hotel.

But where o where exactly are they building it?

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ADDENDUM

I had decided to go to Rizal Avenue this afternoon to find out for myself the exact site on which the old Manila Grand Opera House used to stand, as well as where the luxury hotel is being built.

I asked the people at the international flag store located on Rizal Avenue between Doroteo Jose and Lope de Vega. Supposedly, according to its huge sign, this store has been doing business in the same exact location for three generations.

The manager told me that Manila Grand Opera House used to be located where Music Avenue (formerly Chicks O'Clock) now stands; whereas, the site where Ang Tibay Shoe Store used to be is now occupied by the LRT Doroteo Jose Station.

As for the hotel, it is being built on Doroteo Jose, about 70 meters from Rizal Avenue, where a row of stores used to be -- school supplies, books, novelty shops, eateries, and etc. -- across the street from where the old MIT high school building once stood.

So, technically speaking, the hotel is being built in the vicinity of the site of the Manila Grand Opera House.

I had taken a video of the area:

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Labels: Growing up memoirs, Manila Grand Opera House, Manila history, Manila movie theater

posted by Señor Enrique at 11:59 AM | 22 comments

SILVER STAR HOTEL & RESTAURANT

Located at the corner of Rizal Avenue and Batangas Street in Santa Cruz, Manila, this vividly painted structure that houses the Silver Star Hotel & Restaurant has been standing here for almost 60 years. I should know since I grew up in this neighborhood.

Its restaurant used to serve some of the finest Chinese dishes in the entire Santa Cruz and Blumentritt districts of the city. Its pancit canton, camaron rebosado, lapu-lapu in sweet and sour sauce, and special fried rice, to name a few, were all worth raving about. Moreover, its prices were much lower than those of downtown Manila's Chinese restaurants.

Another eatery that served the same quality of Chinese food was located quite a walking distance farther, in front of San Roque Church in Blumentritt. Whenever Silver Star didn't have any lapu-lapu, my father would get it from this restaurant.

When I was a kid, not too many households have a telephone or access to one; hence, relatives coming over to visit unannounced on weekend afternoons was a frequent occurrence. Caught unaware, my parents had to often resort to the nearby Silver Star restaurant. And of course, along with our famished unexpected guests, everyone else would feast on delicious Chinese foods with great relish.

Feeling nostalgic one weekend afternoon, I went back to this neighborhood restaurant of my youth and ordered pancit canton. It was good and the price was a mere P70.00, good for two people. The buttered fried chicken was also tasty.

Interestingly, nothing much has changed in its interior -- it looks the same as it ever was much like Ma Mon Luk that strives to retain its old world charm. However, unlike Ma Mon Luk whose waiters are usually made up of older men, Silver Star's table service staff are comprised of nice looking women wearing pretty mini skirts. I was to find out later on that the restaurant gets very crowded at night when its regular customers come to enjoy some cold San Miguel beer with Chinese foods as hors d'oeuvres. Apparently, Silver Star Restaurant turns into a swinging beer house replete with a videoke machine after dark. Cool.

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Labels: eateries, Growing up memoirs, life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:40 AM | 22 comments

Sunday, August 10, 2008

ANOTHER TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY

Fotothing.com is once again experiencing problems with its servers; thus, many photographs attached to some of my blog articles and photo essays may not load up at this time.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

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Bus Stop
Focal Length: 18 mm
Shutter Speed: 1.3 sec
Aperture: F/8.0
ISO: 400

posted by Señor Enrique at 4:36 PM | 2 comments

TWO TONS OF CHROME

In the hands of artists Alfredo Juan and Isabel Aquilizan, the folksy jeepney peels the layers of history, returns to the object's military origin, and freights it with gleaming domestic items -- from shovels to steamers.

"M201: In God We Trust" is the title that refers to the model of jeep and the aphorism chosen by many drivers to inscribe on their jeepneys. This jeep was first presented to the Zone of Urgency exhibition in the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003. It was acquired by the Singapore Art Museum which has lent it to the National Art Gallery of the Philippines for a limited trip, or pasada.

The jeepney in the photo below was the once ubiquitous all stainless, 'for-family-use' version. Although I have many fond childhood memories of which -- and learned how to drive in one, in fact -- the most remarkable image of it ingrained in my memory was that owned by a wonderful physician in Subic, Dr. Novales.

Every afternoon around four, people in our barrio with ailing family members would wait by the roadside, and as soon as they see Dr. Novales' owner jeepney, they would wave for him to pull over.

Dr. Novales attended to those afflicted with various illnesses regardless of whether they could afford to pay him or not. But oftentimes, by twilight time, on his way back to the main town of Subic where he lives, you could see various vegetables and a chicken or two at the back seat. Payments, I'm sure for his kind and diligent attention.

My personal interaction with Dr. Novales composed of a series of visits to his office when I was bitten by a dog. The little plastic toys and candies that he gave me after I had one of those anti-rabies shots were of no use to assuage my tears. The sight of that frightening long needle was enough to make me cry.

Through the ensuing years, Dr. Novales continued to make his regular trips in his jeep to the many barrios along the main roads and out in the hinterlands. When I returned to Manila a few years ago, an aunt told me that Dr. Novales had just received a special award for his tireless service to the indigent people of Subic and its neighboring regions. He is now retired.

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!

*

Labels: art matters, Growing up memoirs, jeep, Museums

posted by Señor Enrique at 9:40 AM | 12 comments

Saturday, August 09, 2008

OH LORD WON'T YOU BUY ME...

Janis Joplin's old song, "Mercedes Benz" always comes to mind whenever I see one of these vintage Toyota Land Cruisers, circa 1970s.

I may seem like someone with a peculiar taste for cars but if you lived in Metro Manila in which some streets can get suddenly flooded even with just a few minutes of continuous rainfall, having one of these modified 4x4 Land Cruisers with hydraulic supension can be a wondrous joy.

A fully restored edition, if you can find one for sale, usually costs around P450,000. However, I was warned by someone who owns one that it isn't a vehicle that can be parked just about anywhere unattended. Apparently, there has been a growing demand for its parts that these Toyota Land Cruisers have become a prized target by local carnappers.

Nevertheless, I'd love to have one. So, Lord, won't you buy me one ... please.

This photograph taken yesterday shows the prices of gas in Metro Manila as of 8/8/08.

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Labels: life in Manila, toyota land cruiser

posted by Señor Enrique at 1:48 PM | 20 comments

Friday, August 08, 2008

GOOD EARTH PLAZA: AFTER THE FIRE

Those who grew up in Manila during the '60s will remember that Good Earth at the corner of Avenida Rizal and Bustos Street was the largest and first department store along Avenida that boasted having escalators in the building.

My brothers, cousins and I used to go to its coffee shop for a late morning merienda after attending mass at the nearby Sta. Cruz Church. I always ordered the shrimp salad sandwich served on toasted white bread.

However, I don't remember having bought anything at Good Earth. Ready-to-wear clothing was not popular back then as they are now; the trousers and button-down polo shirts I had were custom-tailored with fabrics purchased separately at Central Market. Also, my eldest sister who was then studying in Chicago used to send me Banlon and other knit shirts.

The building that was once Good Earth is now Good Earth Plaza which houses several establishments, including a motel on the sixth floor; unlike when it originally opened as just one huge department store. And at dawn last Monday, it was gutted by a fire.

According to a PDI article, it took firefighters nearly 22 hours to put out the blaze; finally extinguishing it at 3:00 am, Tuesday. The arson investigation division of the Manila Fire Department suspected the fire stemmed from pieces of rubber in the first floor of the building. Chief Inspector Myra Bico roughly estimated damages to property at P26 million.

The fire destroyed several stores inside the building, including Robinsons Supermarket and several stalls selling electronic items, cell phone accessories, pirated DVDs, and jewelry.

Although only the ground floor and basement of the eight-story building were damaged in the fire, thick smoke and intermittent rains made it difficult for firemen to battle the blaze. The fact that most of the stalls inside the building were closed made the job even more arduous.

The building's close proximity to the LRT's Carriedo Station forced the LRT 1 that runs above Avenida to suspend operations, then cut in half. Full operations only resumed the following morning, Tuesday.

Meanwhile, according to a GMA News report, the office of DOTC Undersecretary Guiling Mamondiong is considering filing a P700,000 damage suit against the owner of the Good Earth Plaza building. The P700,000, Mamondiong said, represents the amount of lost income for the disruption of the Light Rail Transit Line 1's operations.

On Tueday afternoon when these photographs were taken, many stall owners were in the vicinity to ask the authorities when they could possibly enter the building to collect whatever undamaged property and inventory they might have left. And sadly, many who used to work in the building also milled around to learn about the status of their employment.

To view a vintage '60s photo that shows Good Earth and Ideal Theater, click here.

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Related link:

Fire at Good Earth Plaza, Carriedo, Manila City - YouTube

Labels: Growing up memoirs, life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:05 AM | 18 comments

Thursday, August 07, 2008

MANILA'S HANGING WIRES AND CABLES

Right on the same corner as where Mang Inasal is located was the sight of this man working on I'm not sure, though, whether electrical, telephone or cable TV line. But how he was able to pick out the specific cable for him to work on was rather astonishing, I thought.

Bernadette remarked on my previous post, "The only thing I really find shabby with Manila are the spaghetti electric wires -- as well as isn't it like walking under probable electrocution? Sorry for the sordid thought but I usually find myself thinking like this when I'm there!"

She has good reasons to air such sentiment because the noodle-like cables that hang from our street posts are not only ugly to look at but they pose potential perilous threats, especially during severe typhoons. Only recently, a 9-year-old boy was electrocuted after he came into contact with a dangling live wire in Port Area, Manila. Certainly, there have been many similar tragic cases all over the city.

Actually, I had to give up altogether my plan to take a series of photographs of Manila's remaining old wooden houses because these wires obscure my intended subjects. Neither do I have Photoshop and the required patience to erase each cable line from the photograph as other fellow photographers had done.

Nevertheless, there are those like Sidney Snoeck who had found some beauty in them. Check out his series, Cables and Wires.

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Labels: life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 2:46 PM | 16 comments

WAI YING FASTFOOD & MANG INASAL

First learned about about Wai ying restaurant from Moni of Of Places & Food blog site who said, "It is air conditioned but it's not for those who want peace and relaxation. If you consider the food quality and reasonable price as a good tradeoff, then this place might just be for you."

I had no idea about it's exact location but Moni gave me the direction: it's on Benavidez Street only a few meters from the corner of Salazar. It has a huge signage that's tough to miss. From Ongpin Street facing Sta. Cruz area, turn left on the street opposite the appliance center and President Restaurant. Turn right once you approach the corner. That's Benavidez Street and Wai Ying is a few doors away on the right side of the road facing C.M. Recto avenue.

Wai ying offers a variety of congee (lugaw), roasted meats, dim sun, vegetables, dessert and drinks. They also have combination meals from 100 to 120 pesos. I had the white chicken and asado over rice. It was delicious and the serving was plentiful. The dimsum range in price from 50 to 60 pesos per order.

Visit Moni's Of Places & Food blog site for more details, as well as for his critiques of other eateries in the area.

Meanwhile, remember the Mang Inasal restaurant on Ongpin and Padilla Streets that I blogged about last July (Going Against The Grain)? Well, it's pecho -- marinated and grilled chicken breast and wing with unlimited rice -- has become my nephew's and his friends' choice of meal lately. They seem to have forsaken their once-favorite two-piece Chicken Joy at Jollibee. However, the branch they often go to is the one over at the university belt area (Recto near corner Quezon Boulevard).

Anyway, I once went with them at Mang Inasal, and I have to admit the pecho I had was just as delicious as those served at Bacolod Chicken Inasal restaurant. The prices at Mang Inasal are lower, though.

Mang Inasal over at Ongpin & Padilla Streets in Binondo

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Labels: Binondo, eateries, Featured food

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:33 AM | 20 comments

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

TUESDAY AT DOWNTOWN MANILA

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Labels: life in Manila, photography

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:14 AM | 10 comments

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

NUEVA STREET IN BINONDO

Originally named Calle Duque, it was changed to Nueva, meaning "new" in Spanish as the street was newly built in 1863 to ease the traffic congestion on Quintin Paredes Street (formerly Rosario) caused by the repair work on Puente de España (now Jones Bridge) after it was damaged by an earthquake.

Nueva was then renamed Yuchengco Street after Enrique Yuchengco, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and an incredibly rich businessman who founded the Yuchengco Group of Companies based in Makati City.

To see a 'before and after' image layout of the top photo, click here.

Many thanks to fellow HCS member Jeffrey Yap

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Top Image credit: Image Shack

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Labels: Binondo, Manila history

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:30 AM | 8 comments

Monday, August 04, 2008

29TH MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

Better mark your calendar for the 29th Manila International Book Fair.

It will be held at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia complex on September 12 to 16 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm daily.

Besides getting discounts on hundreds of titles, there will also be planned events to give the public a chance to interact with some popular and promising upcoming authors. There will be features as well on the most promising books published in the past year, including a special forum on books on Philippine regional literature, education, politics, religion, family, psychology, philosophy, the social sciences, business and technology.

In addition, there will be opportunities to listen to daily poetry readings and storytelling, hear writers tell their stories, and attend the series of writing workshops offering help and advice on writing for adults and children.

For more information about the event, please call 896-0682 or 896-0661.

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Labels: book fair, manila events

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:53 AM | 7 comments

Sunday, August 03, 2008

THE TONDO CONSPIRACY OF 1587-88

According to the Laguna Copperplate Inscription -- a legal document written in Kawi now housed in the National Museum of the Philippines -- the former region of Tondo has already existed in the year 900 AD; hence, it is over eleven hundred years old. Furthermore, this document claims that Tondo was ruled by a man called Jayadeva who holds the Sanskrit title Senapati or "admiral".

Tondo became so prosperous that around the year 1500 AD, the Kingdom of Brunei attacked it and established the city of Maynila on the opposite bank of Pasig River as the new capital of Luzon Empire. And although the traditional rulers of Tondo, the Lakandula, retained their titles and property, the real political power resided in the House of Soliman, the Radjahs of Manila.

After the Spaniards conquered the Luzon Empire in 1571, Tondo was included in the creation of the Province of Pampanga, which at that time, was the first colonial province carved out of the former empire. Moreover, according to a census conducted by Miguel de Loarca in 1583, the people of Tondo reportedly spoke the same language as that spoken by the natives of the province of Pampanga. Institute of National Language commissioner Jose Villa Panganiban once wrote that the dividing line between Kapampangan and Tagalog was the Pasig River, and that Kapangpangan was therefore originally spoken in Tondo.

Eventually, Tondo became a separate province in the later half of the Spanish colonial era, but there was a major reorganization of political divisions under the Americans; the province of Tondo was dissolved, and its towns given to the provinces of Rizal and Bulacan. Today, Tondo just exists as a district in the City of Manila.

Although Tondo was one of the first provinces to declare rebellion against Spain in 1896, about three hundred years earlier, a group comprised of very prominent Filipinos conspired to overthrow the Spanish rule. It was, however, a failed attempt. Its mastermind was Agustin de Legazpi; nephew of Lakan Dula and son-in-law of the sultan of Brunei. His first cousin was Martin Pangan, who was then the gobernadorcillo of Tondo. It was to be known as the Tondo Conspiracy of 1587-88.

Besides Lakan Dula and Martin Pangan, the other major conspirators were Magat Salamat, son of Lakan Dula and Chief of Tondo; Juan Banal, another Tondo chief and Salamat’s brother-in-law; Geronimo Basi and Gabriel Tuambacar, brothers of Agustin de Legazpi; Pedro Balinguit, chief of Pandacan; Felipe Salonga, chief of Polo; Dionisio Capolo (Kapulong), chief of Candaba and brother of Felipe Salonga; Juan Basi, chief of Taguig; Esteban Taes (Tasi), chief of Bulacan; Felipe Salalila, chief of Misil; Agustin Manuguit, son of Felipe Salalila; Luis Amanicaloa, chief of Tondo; Felipe Amarlangagui, chief of Caranglan; Omaghicon, chief of Navotas and Pitongatan, chief of Tondo.

Augustin de Legazpi had made contact with a Japanese sea captain, Juan Gayo, through a Japanese Christian and interpreter, Dionisio Fernandez, who had also joined the conspiracy. A secret agreement was concluded in which Captain Gayo would supply arms and Japanese warriors to help the Filipino rebellion and recognize Augustin de Legazpi as king of the Philippine kingdom. In reciprocity, Captain Gayo and the Japanese warriors would receive one-half of the tribute to be collected in the Philippines.

There were other secret meetings other than those with the Japanese that had to be concluded before the final plan of the uprising was to become completely enforceable. First, a secret delegation would travel to Borneo to secure combat troops and ships from the Sultan of Brunei. Second, obtain the support and participation of the inhabitants of Laguna and Batangas in this struggle for freedom. Once a full commitment was received from Borneo, Batangas and Laguna, the armed rebellion would begin upon the arrival at the Manila Bay of the Sultan of Brunei’s warships with warriors on board. The conspirators and their armed warriors would then launch a ferocious attack to completely annihilate the Spaniards and then set the city on fire.

It would have been a good plan climaxed by an epic battle had it not been for a turncoat who betrayed the conspiracy and reported it to the Spanish authorities.

On the way to meet with the Sultan of Brunei, Magat Salamat, Juan Banal, and Augustin Manuguit stopped at Cuyo, Calamianes, to meet with its native chief, Sumaclob. The chief was swayed to join the conspiracy and pledge to contribute 2,000 of his men for the cause. However, Magat Salamat made an error in judgment by soliciting the participation of another Cuyo native, Antonio Surabao. Upon learning of the secret plan, Surabao rushed to expose it to his master, Captain Pedro Sarmiento, the Spanish encomendero of Calamianes. And once Salamat, Banal and Manuguit were apprehended, Captain Sarmiento hastily traveled to Manila and informed Governor Santiago de Vera on October 26, 1588 of a brewing conspiracy against Spanish rule.

The governor immediately ordered the arrest of all persons implicated in the revolutionary plot. Everyone was thoroughly investigated, tried in court, and made to suffer cruel punishments. To the Spanish authorities, the conspirators were nothing more than traitors, but to the Filipino people, they were brave liberators — martyrs of a lost cause.

Augustin de Legazpi and Martin Pangan were brutally hanged — their heads cut off and exposed on the gibbet in iron cages; their properties and assets were seized by the Spanish authorities and the sites of their homes plowed and sown with salt so that they would remain barren.

The Japanese Christian interpreter, Dionisio Fernandez was hanged and his property confiscated. Dionisio Capolo (Kapulong), chief of Candaba (Pampanga) was sentenced to exile from his town and made to pay a heavy fine. Governor Santiago de Vera pardoned him. Later he served as a guide and interpreter for two Spanish expeditions to the Igorot country in 1591 and 1594.

The other five leading members of the Tondo Conspiracy were exiled to Mexico — Pedro Balinguit (chief of Pandacan), Pitongatan (chief of Tondo), Felipe Salonga (chief of Polo), Calao (chief of Tondo), and Agustin Manuguit (chief of Tondo). They were the very first Filipinos to reside in Mexico.

It wasn’t until during the late nineteenth-century when another significant conspiracy in Tondo was hatched to overthrow the Spanish regime. However, unlike the Tondo Conspiracy of 1587-88, this time it was the members of Manila’s working class — not the heads of prominent families — who were mainly the mind and force behind it.

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Previously posted as The Brunei Connection (10/20/06)

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Saturday, August 02, 2008

GUIDED TOUR OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

If you're tired of the malls and now looking for something truly worthwhile to spend your time on, how about taking a guided tour of the National Museum with John Silva?

John is Senior Consultant of the National Museum and has the most fascinating stories and insights about the collection. He guides in an interesting and humorous manner, delighting and inspiring his audience to be proud of their culture and history.

Each tour is three hours in duration, beginning at 10:00 am sharp (ending at 1:00 pm) at the rear entrance of the Museum of the Filipino People, (former Finance Building) Agrifina Circle, Rizal Park.

Tour dates are August 2, 10, 13, 20, 23, 27, 30, and 31st, and September 6, 10, 13, 14, 17, 24, and 27th, 2008.

Attendees are requested to wear walking shoes (please no heels) and reservations are strongly encouraged by texting or calling John Silva at 0926 729 9029. Or email him at jsilva79@mac.com

A portion of the fees (700 pesos for adults, and 500 pesos for children up to 18 years) goes to John's I LOVE MUSEUM PROGRAM, bringing public school teachers to the National Museum to appreciate the arts and later bring their students. Studies show that an arts educated child has higher grades, loves reading more, and make better citizens.

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Related link:

National Museum of the Filipino People

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THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE
Padre Burgos Street
in the former Finance Building on Rizal Park, Manila
Telephone: +63 2 527 0278
Fax: +63 2 527 0306
Monday - Saturday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Admission: P100

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Labels: Museums, walking tour

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:29 AM | 20 comments

Friday, August 01, 2008

SEARCHING FOR A HOME, A MEMOIR

She has dated Elvis, taken walks with James Dean, worked as a Playboy bunny, and lived in Manila like "royalty" with her husband. They were chums with Imelda and Ferdinand. She and her husband separated and has not returned to Manila since the political unrest. To date, she's still searching for a home.

This book is about Jennifer Fay Field, her famous friends, travels and life as a royal.

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Many thanks to Jane P. for the head's up on this intersting find.

An interesting link: Taryn Simpson

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Labels: Featured book

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:01 AM | 12 comments

Life in Manila as observed by a former New Yorker who with a laptop and camera has reinvented himself as a storyteller. Winner of the PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS: Best Photo Blog in 2007 and three Best Single Post awards in 2008.

Wish you were here

Saturday, August 30, 2008

12 LITTLE THINGS EVERY FILIPINO CAN DO

Friday, August 29, 2008

MUHIBAH

CENTRAL MARKET - SANTA CRUZ, MANILA

Thursday, August 28, 2008

HISTORIC WASTELAND

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

TRIBUTE TO ALL OUR GRANDPARENTS

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

CHINESE GENERAL HOSPITAL

Monday, August 25, 2008

NGANGA

Sunday, August 24, 2008

LA LOMA

Saturday, August 23, 2008

THE YOUNG SCRIBE

Friday, August 22, 2008

AZCARRAGA, HEADING EAST TO LEGARDA

Thursday, August 21, 2008

REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS OF MILITARY SEXUAL SLAVERY

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

DRIVER'S LICENSE RENEWAL AT THE LOCAL LTO

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

ON RIDING JEEPNEYS AND HOLDUPS

Monday, August 18, 2008

FROM ORIENTE TO TY STREET

Sunday, August 17, 2008

THE CHURCH AT THE PLAZA

Saturday, August 16, 2008

THE EATERIES ALONG BANAWE

Friday, August 15, 2008

THE PEDICAB BOYS OF MANILA

Thursday, August 14, 2008

THE UMBRELLA BOYS OF MANILA

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

THE PRETTIFICATION OF RECTO BY THE MMDA

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A FRENCHMAN IN OLD MANILA

Monday, August 11, 2008

MANILA GRAND OPERA HOTEL

SILVER STAR HOTEL & RESTAURANT

Sunday, August 10, 2008

ANOTHER TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY

TWO TONS OF CHROME

Saturday, August 09, 2008

OH LORD WON'T YOU BUY ME...

Friday, August 08, 2008

GOOD EARTH PLAZA: AFTER THE FIRE

Thursday, August 07, 2008

MANILA'S HANGING WIRES AND CABLES

WAI YING FASTFOOD & MANG INASAL

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

TUESDAY AT DOWNTOWN MANILA

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

NUEVA STREET IN BINONDO

Monday, August 04, 2008

29TH MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

Sunday, August 03, 2008

THE TONDO CONSPIRACY OF 1587-88

Saturday, August 02, 2008

GUIDED TOUR OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

Friday, August 01, 2008

SEARCHING FOR A HOME, A MEMOIR

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