my manila

i'm posting my DP theme day for the month of february earlier, "what your city is known for." i think when you say manila, you automatically conjured up the Jeepney in your mind, Jeepney is Manila's main means of public transportation and is a symbol of the Philippine culture. (Photo taken in front of Manila City Hall)

I believe that Manila can be a reflection of your state of mind. Being a city of extreme contrasts it’s easy to see how it can become an intense personal experience. Manila can be chaotic and spiritual, dirty and divine, gritty and gorgeous all at once. If you don’t find beauty and poetry here, you will never find it anywhere. ~ Carlos Celdran

P.S. I am taking a break from blogging and i dunno when I will post again (could be a week or more), but that doesn’t mean I am going to stop taking pictures of my beautiful manila. To my few regular readers thank you for your visits and comments I really appreciate it. I’ll be back I just dunno when, I’ll miss you all. To my first time visitors who miss manila or is curious about this wonderful place, please feel free to browse my archive, i have more than 200 photos in here.

please do visit these 130 cities participating:
Portland (OR), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Memphis (Tennessee), USA - Manila, Philippines - San Diego (CA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - New York City (NY), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - San Francisco (CA), USA - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - Mainz, Germany - Weston (FL), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Turin, Italy - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Bicheno, Australia - Durban, South Africa - Joplin (MO), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Brussels, Belgium - Chicago (IL), USA - Montpellier, France - Seattle (WA), USA - Mazatlan, Mexico - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Toulouse, France - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Susanville (CA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Helsinki, Finland - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Lisbon, Portugal - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Trujillo, Peru - Dunedin (FL), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USAPort Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - London, UK - Baziège, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mumbai, India - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Stayton (OR), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Arradon, France - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Athens, Greece - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Jackson (MS), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Budapest, Hungary - Rotterdam, Netherlands - St Malo, FranceChandler (AZ), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cleveland (OH), USA - Nottingham, UK - Kansas City (MO), USA - The Hague, Netherlands - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Wrocław, Poland - Chateaubriant, France - Cheltenham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Monrovia (CA), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Toruń, Poland - Grenoble, France - Lisbon, Portugal - New Orleans (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Boston (MA), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Wichita (KS), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Christchurch, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Wailea (HI), USA - Aliso Viejo (CA), USA - St Francis, South Africa - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Seattle (WA), USA - Pasadena (CA), USA - Vienna, Austria - Orlando (FL), USA - Torun, Poland - Delta (CO), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Paris, France - Stavanger, Norway - Niamey, Niger - Le Guilvinec, France - Bogor, Indonesia - Saarbrücken, Germany - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Juneau (AK), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Glasgow, Scotland - Chicago (IL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Adelaide (SA), Australia

at the end of the road

i've walked within these walls countless times and i dont think i'll ever get tired of this place... i cannot give you the proper directions, which way to turn or how to get here but one thing's for certain my feet will always know the way...

martyrdom of dr. jose p. rizal

A sculpture by Ildefonso Paez Santos in collaboration with Eduardo Castrillo commemorating the martyrdom of our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Located in the northwestern part of Rizal Park, near Jose Rizal's monument.

The marker says "Jose Rizal Y Mercado. Filipino physician, propagandist, writer, and patriot was executed within these hallowed grounds at exactly 7:03 in the morning of December 30, 1896 by an eight-man squad of Filipino riflemen from the 17th infantry regiment, the Magallanes of the Spanish Colonial Army. Those who witnessed Rizal's public execution included Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, his legal defender during his trial for alleged treason against Spain and the two Jesuit priests Fr. Jose Villaclara S.J. and Fr. Estanislao March S.J. who accompanied Rizal during his final walk before his execution. Rizal's martyrdom fanned the flames of the Filipino revolution of 1896 and inspired the Filipinos in their resolute and epic fight for freedom"

at world's end

what if after your endless pursuit you finally reach the world's end and find out that there is nothing in it and you can't go back?

philippine relief map

The Philippine relief map is located at the east side of Rizal Park / Luneta, seen along Taft Avenue. This relief map is the biggest and i could say is a very accurate copy of the archipelago, even the mountains and volcanoes are properly depicted here. Note: The smaller photo is taken from Google Earth.

what if

what if the world suddenly change into something you've never imagined and you wake up one morning and realize that you are looking down at the sky instead of looking up to see the sky?

perspective

can you make out the word

can you make out the word in these letters?

remembering mendiola

Today we are remembering those who were killed and injured in what is known as the Mendiola Massacre. 21 years ago, a crowd control troops open fired on a protest rally of about 10,000 peasant farmers demanding genuine land reform from the Philippine Government. Thirteen of the protesters were killed and hundreds more were injured in that incident.

during the 70s, Mendiola Street has been witness to violent confrontations between protesters and government troops. Under the regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos, Mendiola Street was the site of the Battle of Malacañang or The Battle of Mendiola Bridge on January 30, 1970 which resulted to four student demonstrators dead on the spot.

Mendiola Street is a short thoroughfare in the district of San Miguel, and starts from the intersection of Legarda and Claro M. Recto Avenues and ends just outside Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines. Mendiola is famous for being the venue for protest actions against an incumbent government and is the site to some colleges and universities that form the area of Manila known as the University Belt. Because of the tight security at the Malacañang Palace, authorities decided to close half of Mendiola Street starting from the sentinel gate in front of the College of the Holy Spirit and La Consolacion College to protect the palace from different forms of threats.

related links :
luis liwanag's remembers his own account on the massacre that happened 21 years ago
senor enrique's photo essay on the mendiola massacre rally this year 2008

wildflower

"Nobody knows a wildflower still grows
By the side of the road
And she don't need to need like the roses
She's at home with the weeds
And just as free as the night breeze
She's got the cool of a shade tree"

... and "this wildflower" just turned 30 years old today =)

sampaloc lake

“Moody and withdrawn, the lake unites a haunting loveliness to a raw desolateness.” ~ Dale Morgan

Photo of Sampaloc Lake taken one rainy staurday afternoon. please check out the end of my viaje del sol trip here.

human face

“Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror, or the painter?” ~ Pablo Picasso

Photo taken from Kusina ni Salud (Salud's Kitchen) is owned and operated by Patis Tesoro, the renowned fashion designer and advocate of indigenous fabrics. The place is a typical old style filipino house with antique collections, and the place is surronded by trees and plants, your sensual and gustatory glands will surely appreciate this place. They also offer lunch buffet every sunday for only 395 per person.

Kusina ni Salud is one of the places i've visited during my road trip if you like to find out how it went, please visit my personal blog for more photos.

viaje del sol

viaje del sol or the way of the sun... a journey in the beautiful places of Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon... finding hidden treasures of cafes and restaurants, inns and country homes, and artist studios... come and join me in this road trip

donuts

trees

"I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do. They go wandering forth in all directions with every wind, going and coming like ourselves, traveling with us around the sun two million miles a day, and through space heaven knows how fast and far!" ~ John Muir

only in the philippines

pasig river ferry

The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines and connects Laguna de Bay (via the Napindan Channel) into Manila Bay. The river is called Ilog Pasig in Filipino. It stretches for 25 kilometres. Eight (8) major bridge connects the north and south banks of the Pasig River in Metro Manila. The Pasig River Ferry was launched by GMA on February 2007.

Experience the ride along Pasig River aboard the Pasig River Ferry. To see more photos of my Pasig River tour click here.

I highly recommend this tour to everyone, try it and experience the ride. The Pasig River ferry runs from Intramuros - Plaza Mexico, Manila to Kalawaan Pasig. There are 12 ferry stations along the pasig river stretch. It is open daily, first boat leaves at 6AM. You get to travel in safety and it is comfortable, the best thing about it is that there’s no traffic – you can be at Guadalupe from Escolta in just 55 minutes. The ferry departs every 30minutes. Regular fare: minimum of P20.00 to maximum of P45.00

“Dusk, is just an illusion, because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are; there cannot be one without the other, yet they cannot exist at the same time."

escolta

During it's golden days, Escolta was described as "a street with many fashionable shops and department stores that display every item of imported and Philippine origin."

See my previous posts: ordinary day at Escolta.


N.B. Sorry bout the photos... am trying to learn the photostitching technique

1564

1564 - 1964 IV Centenario de la Expedicion Maritima Mexico Filipinas

Dont know much about this plaza and marker but it has been standing there since 1965, this plaza is near the Manila Cathedral and near the bank of the Pasig River.

Philippine-Mexican Marker Plaza... undertaken and completed by the National Parks Development Committee under the Office1964 of the President funded by the Central Bank of the Philippines, spearheaded by then Chairman Mrs. Diosdado Macapagal (former first lady and mother of the current president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) ... the actual marker is dated December 1965.

feast of black nazarene

The Black Nazarene is a life-sized, dark-skinned statue of Jesus Christ that a priest bought in Mexico, carved by an Aztec carpenter. The image is now enshrined in the minor basilica in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines and the day on which devotees go to the church is Friday. The procession, and the accompanying Feast of the Black Nazarene, takes place every year on January 9. It is usually the single largest festival of the year in the Philippines.

The statue was brought to Manila by the first group of Augustinian Recollect friars in May 31, 1606. The image was enshrined at the first Recollect church in Bagumbayan (now part of the Rizal Park), which was inaugurated on September 10, 1606, and placed under the patronage of Saint John the Baptist.

In 1608, the second bigger Recollect church dedicated to San Nicolas de Tolentino(Saint Nicholas of Tolentine ) was completed inside Intramuros (where the building of the Manila Bulletin now stands), where the image of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno was transferred. The Recollect Fathers then vigorously promoted devotion to the Suffering of Our Lord represented by the image that in fifteen short years, the Cofradia de Jesús Nazareno was established on April 21, 1621. The confraternity obtained Papal approval on April 20, 1650, from His Holiness Pope Innocent X.

Sometime in the year 1787, the Archbishop of Manila, Basilio Sancho de Santas Junta y Rufina, ordered transfer of the image of the Nazareno to the church in Quiapo, again providently placed under the patronage of Saint John the Baptist.

The image survived the great fires that destroyed Quiapo Church in 1791 and 1929, the great earthquakes of 1645 and 1863, and the destructive bombing of Manila in 1945 during World War II.

Recently, however, in 1998, a replica of the original Black Nazarene was first paraded due to the repeated damages on the statue. Today this replica is still used in processions while the original rests inside the church, and other, even smaller replicas can be found in other churches.

The devotion to Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno has attracted an even bigger following. Its popularity, which initially spread to the northern and southern provinces of Luzon, spread over time throughout the country.

The uniquely Filipino devotion to the Black Nazarene merited the sanction and encouragement of two popes: Innocent X in 1650, with a Papal Bull canonically establishing the Cofradia de Jesús Nazareno, and Pius VII in the 19th century, by granting indulgence to those who piously pray before the image of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo.

Today, despite the rough-and-tumble that usually accompanies the thrice-yearly procession of the image, the Filipino people's devotion to God in the special appellation of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno continues to flourish and shows no sign of warning; death, wounds, bodily pains and physical discomfort notwithstanding.

For more than 200 years, the statue has been placed on a gilded carriage every January and pulled through the streets of Quiapo by male devotees dressed in maroon. People who touch the Nazarene are reported to sometimes be healed of diseases. Catholics come from all over Manila on the chance that they will be able to get close enough to touch the image and perhaps receive a miracle. They also throw towels to the people guarding the statue and ask them to rub the towel on the statue in hopes of carrying some of that power away with them.

Source: Wikipedia.org

Related link: Señor Enrique, Sidney's black nazarene procession on 2006 and 2007

maskara

"Kung may problema ka
Magsuot ng maskara
Takpan mo ang iyong mata
Buong mundo'y mag-iiba"
~ eraserheads

Photo: a closeup look on details from the giant parol (christmas lantern) in my christmas post.

tutuban centermall

andres in tutuban

Here's the statue of our hero, Andres Bonifacio at the Tutuban center in Divisoria. Tutuban is not just a place rich in historical and strategic significance but also thrives as the hotbed of commerce right at the heart of neo-conservative Manila, to know more about its history click here.

On a funny note: dont you think Andres looks like he's checking the list of people he'll give gifts to next christmas? Yeah the christmas decors are still up until Sunday.

dont be afraid

"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with you best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt before because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end... be afraid that it will never begin."

divisoria

Yep your eyes are not deceiving you, this is divisoria and that is the Tutuban Cluster Mall building you're seeing but it is empty (well not really empty but this place is usually crowded everyday). Photo taken yesterday when most people are still asleep after welcoming the new year and most malls are closed. New Year morning is the best time to roam the metropolis since i'll have the road all by myself, and mind you this is the only day and time you'll find this place empty.

I cant justify the diversity and color of Divisoria in this post but to those who doenst know yet, Divisoria or as what pinoys fondly call "Divi" is a big market place where you can find almost everything you'll ever need where the prices are lower (you can even haggle for the price). It is always bustling with activity and is easy to get lost here if you dont know your way around. Divisoria is best known for textile (at Juan Luna St.), fruit market (what they call "bagsakan" at Sto. Cristo), vegetables (at Asuncion), among other things. Divisoria is also a haven for wholesaler, recently malls have sprouted in the area such as the popular 168 Mall, Divisoria Mall, etc.

embrace the new day

Happy new year everyone! Starting off this year's theme day is "the best of" ... am not sure which one to pick but decided to use this photo of the "sunset lovers" (originally uploaded last 05 May 2007).

Enjoy the best of the Daily Photo Community by visiting the following blogs:
Paris, France - London, England - Hyde, UK - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Grenoble, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Riga, Latvia - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - New Orleans (LA), USA - Wichita (KS), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Francisco (CA), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Mainz, Germany - Melbourne, Australia - Portland (OR), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Toulouse, France - Naples (FL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Brussels, Belgium - Stayton (OR), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Nashville (TN), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Prescott (AZ), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Philadelphia (PA), USAEvry, France - Trujillo, Peru - Arlington (VA), USA - Denpasar, Indonesia - American Fork (UT), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Coral Gables (FL), USA - Montpellier, France - Joplin (MO), USA - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Boston (MA), USA - Torun, Poland - New York City (NY), USA - Dunedin (FL), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Chateaubriant, France - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Budapest, Hungary - Austin (TX), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Cypress (TX), USA - Bicheno, Australia - Wrocław, Poland - Brookville (OH), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Cheltenham, UK - Wellington, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - London, UK - Haninge, Sweden - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Arradon, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Mumbai, India - Terrell (TX), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - Delta (CO), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Saigon, Vietnam - San Diego (CA), USA - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Belgrade, Serbia - Auckland, New Zealand - Seguin (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA - Oslo, Norway - Singapore, Singapore - Las Vegas (NV), USANew York City (NY), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy - Susanville (CA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Memphis (Tennessee), USA - -