Manila - Planned Out

First, the Spaniards with their planned city in Intramuros. Next, the Americans with plans for a new monumental centre next to it. Then, urban developers with an aim for ‘bubbles.’

Echoing the Romans, colonials sought to replicate their mother-cities. The English designed the monumental centres of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur like an English town green. The French made Saigon like Paris. The Dutch had canals reminiscent of Amsterdam in Batavia. The Americans wanted a Washington D.C. in the east.

Post Office Building, Rizal Park, Manila

So Daniel Burnham was commissioned to redesign Manila. The plans called for grand avenues, wide open fields and monumental buildings espousing the virtues of Republic.

Rizal Monument, Rizal Park towards Manila Bay

The National Theatre, General Post Office and Department of Tourism are among the few buildings built, with only outlines for a monumental ‘Capitol Building’ and other government buildings. The Mall was left as Rizal Park, and the open vista to Manila Bay was blocked by a grandstand and parade ground.

Carnival atmosphere, Rizal Park, Manila

But the Mall did serve its purpose. On a lazy public holiday, people were everywhere, enjoying the weather and the green, with a lot of stalls everywhere.

After a whole morning exploring the Spanish and American parts, I decided to head back to the Mandarin Oriental. The Mandarin Oriental Manila, while an old property, is in a good location in Makati City, a satellite city 20-30 minute drive from Old Manila. Makati City, though, definitely echoes the planned layout previously attempted in Manila, and succeeded it did.

Parts of the Makati Triangle, Makati City, Manila

Makati City is centred along the Ayala Triangle, and is home to a very elite part of town. In fact, it felt like a bubble, and I must admit, I was more than happy to return to this bubble after a few forays beyond the Makati boundaries.

Ayala Park and part of Makati skyline

Though going beyond a bubble shows a different angle to a city. So, after suggestions from the concierge, I went to the Mall of Asia, built on reclaimed land, and on the other end of a major road from Makati, a straight drive down. Easy.

Nope, not easy. This was my taste of Manila traffic. The taxi driver took a by-pass, to avoid the chaos on the ‘expressway’ known as EDSA (Epifino de los Santos Avenue). This by-pass took me through the back alleys of Manila.

Parts of EDSA were where the Bourne Legacy was shot, the scene where Jeremy Renner jumped off a pedestrian bridge with Rachel Weisz. The back alleys of EDSA was also where I saw the poverty, whiffed the smell of pee, and observed street urchins asking you to buy stuff. One scene was truly sad: a guy attempted to clean a windscreen, the driver just drove away, leaving the guy cleaning bereft of anything, and flat on the road.

After an agonizing crawl along Roxas Boulevard, I saw people peeing and pooping against walls in plain sight. What could have been an easy drive was hampered by jeepneys stopping on the supposed major expressway picking passengers, and a complete disregard for traffic rules. While the disregard of traffic rules works in Vietnam, it doesn’t work elsewhere.

Sunset over Manila Bay from Mall of Asia, Manila

Crowds at Mall of Asia, heading to the Manila Bay shore

Over at the Mall of Asia, while it was large, it wasn’t exactly the pleasant image I was led to believe. After braving through the throng, I went over to the boardwalk to see the ‘legendary’ Manila Sunset over Manila Bay. That was, me and what felt like the 1.3 million inhabitants of Manila.

Back in Makati City, I sought to enjoy the creature comforts in the Mandarin Oriental. Like the Oriental Residence in Bangkok, the Mandarin Oriental provided guests with a running map around the city. I thought why not, it would be a different way to explore the city, on a workday no less.

Jogging routes, Mandarin Oriental Manila

In Makati City is purportedly the most exclusive mall in the Philippines: the Greenbelt. While modest, with a food selection that I didn’t quite agree to, I did notice something I now only expected of the Philippines, and Manila in particular.

Greenbelt, Makati City

In line with their strong Roman Catholic cultural leanings, there, in the midst of temples to consumerism and with the vast income inequality tucked away behind expressways acting as barriers, was a church in the middle of the development: Sto Nino de Paz, in Greebelt Mall, Makati City.

St Nino de Paz Church in Greenbelt, Makati City

Feel guilty for buying a bag that costs the monthly income of an average worker? Come and pray. There is a service every hour on Sundays apparently. A marriage of Asian cultures: Filipino religious culture with the general Asian love of malls.

The following day was my flight back. Despite taking merely 15 minutes to get to Makati from the airport, I was advised to allow 4 hours to get to the airport.

Caption not needed.

It took me just over an hour and 15 minutes to get to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. The airport’s departure can be a bit daunting, with few signage to assist, and it took me a while to find the hidden passageway in the back centre of the check-in area to the departure tax counter and immigration control. Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport departure tax is Php 550.

Manila - Within Walls

Manila was once a jewel of the Spanish Crown. Perhaps that’s where the reference to ‘Pearl of the Orient’ came from: a pearl in an imperial crown. Away from the hustle and bustle, the sacred and the profane at Plaza Miranda, I walked along Quezon Boulevard to the Quezon Bridge, towards the old walled Spanish city: the Intramuros.

On Quezon Bridge, over Pasig River, Manila

 Passing the old Municipal Theatre, I tried to find a way in to the walled city. The chaotic roads and lack of pedestrian-friendly pathways did much to hinder my progress.

Intramuros gatehouse

Queen Isabella II of Spain, Intramuros

Passing closed gates and relatively imposing walls surrounded by gardens, I was greeted by a closed side entrance along the battlements and a statue of a Queen Isabella II of Spain. Walking along the northeastern perimeter wall, I found an entrance, by a closed Starbucks. Yet in the process, I was distracted by a beautiful, albeit abandoned and gutted structure.

Gallician Stone Cross, Intramuros

Former Customs House, Aduana, Intramuros

The former Customs House, or Aduana, is a beautiful shell of a building, outside the formal city walls of the Intramuros, with a beautifully carved stone cross with strong Gallician influences standing guard outside. Not too sure what is to become of it, but the internal bracing and memorial plaques would indicate a future, hopefully.

Bureau of the Treasury, Plaza Roma, Intramuros

Walking further along A Soriano Jr St, the restoration of the Bureau of the Treasury greeted me, and heralded my arrival to the great Plaza Roma and the Manila Cathedral. As old and weathered as the imposing structure may look, the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, or Manila Cathedral for short, is relatively new, dating from 1958, when 7 previous incarnations from 1581 were destroyed or damaged through wear and tear, war and natural disasters.

Manila Cathedral, Intramuros

King Carlos IV statue, Plaza Roma, Intramuros

Regrettably, the cathedral was undergoing repairs and restoration to make it more earthquake-resistant since early 2012, and not expected to open any time soon. Instead, I had to satisfy my curiosity by admiring from the outside, from the tympanum to the basilica dome, as a statue of King Carlos IV of Spain pointed to a plot of earth on Plaza Roma.

Repairs, Manila Cathedral, Intramuros

Church number 3 done, my aim was now the World Heritage Site of San Agustin Church. I heard much about this church, and her beautiful artwork within. I was very much intrigued at church that miraculously survived the ravages of WWII as the Intramuros and the buildings within were heavily damaged. She was the sole survivor of 7 churches that stood in the city prior to the war.

Corner Anda/Gen Luna St, with basilica dome, Intramuros

Walking along General Luna St, I marvelled at the colonial Spanish architecture lining the street, with the click-clack of horse hooves against asphalt somehow brining me back to the days when Spanish merchants and administrators governed the empire as clergymen paced up and down chanting and worrying for the souls of many.

Horse-drawn carriages, Intramuros

Along Gen Luna St, Intramuros

At St Agustin Church, I was expecting a relatively modest structure, tucked away. Indeed, it was relatively modest, tucked away, but with many outbuildings. Somewhat well preserved, I was not ready for what lay within.

Exterior, St Agustin Church

Exterior, St Agustin Church

The simple, austere exterior belied the baroque ornamentation within. The trompe l’oeil was truly a trick of the eye. The fine detailing of the ceiling and walls, the richly and lavishly decorated interior, chandeliers and altars, all combine to transport you away from the tropics to another world. Words fail to describe the scene, and it was indeed a miracle how this artwork survived the onslaught, and indeed is a World Heritage Site in every way.

Liturgical East, St Agustin Church

Interior, St Agustin Church

As Christmas Day Mass number 6 was about to start, I excused myself and wandered the former monastery. The monastery is now a museum, with fine oil paintings depicting the life of St Augustine.

Artwork inside St Agustin's Church Museum

Cloisters & courtyard, St Agustin Monastery

Along Real St, down from St Agustin, is the Puerta de Sta Lucia, a side gate that opens in to the golf course that surrounds the western and southern walls of the Intramuros. Up here, tall skyscrapers jut out to remind you where you are as shells of war-damaged buildings of the Intramuros remind you of what once was.

Restored and damaged, Intramuros

Looking west towards Manila Hotel, along the battlements

For a moment, my imagination ran wild, as I imagined a time gone by, where the shoreline was closer to the walls, where large Spanish galleons called at port laden with treasure, with the monks chanting in the churches as administrators potter around, while locals and non-Spanish traders set out by the walls, wondering what shenanigans their Spanish overlords are doing in their cloistered surroundings.

Intramuros Main Gate, General Luna St

Manila - Civitas Sacra

Consider the following statement:

“The icon seeming to lurch towards onlookers, who were then considered blessed by the Virgin. Clergy touched pieces of cotton-wool to the icon and handed them out to the crowd […] a great crowd watched [sic] such a display, whilst a street-market for unconcerned locals continues in the foreground.”

Such was the observation of Pedro Tafur, a Spanish writer and traveller, who went around and explored the Mediterranean in the 1430s. And that indeed was the image I saw by the Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo Church.

But let us not get ahead of ourselves. Our story today started of innocently after breakfast. I checked in at the Mandarin Oriental, had a nice breakfast, and studied my map, planning my day.

I took a taxi headed straight to St Sebastian’s Basilica in the old part of Manila, north of the Pasig River and northeast of the Intramuros. I had a nice chat with the friendly taxi driver, and we talked about, oddly enough, high profile legal cases when I told him of my legal background.

Granted, it was Christmas Day, so I was somewhat expecting a large celebration. Alas, my taxi driver told me that Christmas Eve is the more important. He also cautioned me about the area where the Basilica is located. It is a predominantly Muslim area, and recently there have been violence between Muslims and Christians in the area.

Basilica of St Sebastian

The drive there was very smooth, contrary to the image of Manila being a convoluted, traffic-choked city, and it took me 20 minutes. It cost me just under US$ 4 to get there from Makati City, and for being such a nice guy, I offered my taxi driver a little extra. Granted, it wasn’t much, but to him, he felt glad and was truly grateful when I told him to keep the change.

Administrative Building, Basilica of St Sebastian

He stopped at the steps of the church and made the sign of the cross in reverence towards the church. Seeing his honesty and devotion was truly touching. Having wished him and his family well, and a blessed Christmas, I entered the basilica.

Interior, Basilica of St Sebastian, towards liturgical east

Stained glass, Basilica of St Sebastian, prefab in Germany

High Altar, Basilica of St Sebastian

It was there I the culture of the Philippines was laid bare, at least religiously. While most would be in their best when attending church with reverence amidst the ceremonials, there it felt like a ritual, a thing to do. Some easily strolled in and out during rituals, children were allowed to play around, some went through the motions, most were in ordinary street clothes, while some looked nonchalant.

Christ effigy, Basilica of St Sebastian

Tromp l'oeil, by High Altar

But the cultural aspects aside, the church was truly beautiful. As a friend in Holland remarked, the interior would not look out of place in the Low Countries. Unsurprisingly, the church was made, an all-steel church, pre-fabricated, in Belgium, in its entirety.

Tromp l'oeil, ceiling, Basilica of St Sebastian

Within, beautiful stained glass, tromp l’oeil artwork and effigies used for processions abound. When mass ended, I strolled through the building and structure, observing without being intrusive. A few nuns nodded in welcome, as I savoured in the beauty.

Furry friend on Paseo Hidalgo, Quiapo

Walking away from the church, I went down Hidalgo Street to the great plaza of the Quiapo Church, the Basilica of the Black Nazarene. This truly is a crossroads of cultures. If this was a mere shadow of its past, I could not begin to imagine what it was like when Manila was the jewel of the Galleon Trades.

Crossing over from the underpass, it was sheer chaos, a madness one would associate with a mad market. The grand Plaza Miranda was laid out in front of the basilica, with somewhat garish paint throughout. Markets and stalls surrounded the plaza, as throngs of people went in and out. Church service was on the hour, apparently.

Quiapo Church and part of the markets

From the colonnades and statues of the saints looking down on the plaza, I tried to enter the church. When I went in, an opening formed, amidst the crowd, so I strolled in, wondering why such an opening was present. People were lining in formation, and I squeezed in. And then I discovered why: mass has ended and the priests were out to bless the people.

And it was then did Pedro Tafur’s words ran through my head. As the priests were out sanctifying the people with their holy water aspergillum, everyone rushed forward, eager to get a drop. Some held out clothes and handkerchiefs, others bibles and icons. I couldn’t move; I felt as if I was in the way of the throng, and the priest just decided to sprinkle my entire shirt with a healthy dollop of holy water, along with dangling pieces of handkerchiefs and rosaries.

Eager to get a glimpse of the Icon of the Black Nazarene, I went further in the basilica, a large cavernous hall. People were everywhere, the mass felt orchestrated and without the reverence or ceremony of a mass I am used to. Yet the sheer size of the hall, and the number of people streaming in and out and remaining inside did not fail to impress. All for the reverence of a wooden statue of Christ, which survived a sea journey and fire from Mexico.

Interior, Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo Church

Outside, Pedro Tafur’s words again came to mind, as people once again were clamouring to get divine favour from drops of holy water and the image of an icon, following clergy who were out blessing, even to the extent of a priest who was trying to get every drop out of his aspersorium with his aspergillum, literally.

Blessings outside, mass inside

Surrounding the basilica, Plaza Miranda was indeed a mad sight. Makeshift stalls and shops abound, amidst the statuary of saints and images of the cardinals of the church looking down from their lofty heights. Icons and statues of the Santa Nino, the Christ Child were everywhere. Amulets for blessings and potions for maladies, makeshift pharmacies and stalls selling things that befuddle the mind.

Quiapo Church, from Quiapo Plaza

Not quite Byzantine Constantinople but still the feeling of a city immersed in the divine; a culture where Papal dogma and traditional belief blend so well together to create a unique hybrid; where traditional superstition combined with Catholic teaching made a handkerchief with drops of holy water a sacred object, where mere images of icons and statuary would protect against all maladies.

Manila - Loyal & Beloved

I never had a desire to go to Manila. None whatsoever. Though admittedly, curiosity did get the better of me, especially considering Manila has one of the highest concentrations of Roman Catholic churches in Asia, second after Macau, with a very rich religious tradition.

Also, during this time, I was reading about Constantinople during her heyday as the capital of Christendom. The ecstasy, the intermingling of the divine and the profane in a square mile, all fringed by a grand harbour, somehow made me think of Manila. That and the latest Bourne movie, the Bourne Legacy, was filmed there, so I was a bit curious to see how movies and reality intersect.

(*my Macau trip was likewise influenced by watching the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, despite the fact the movie crew hardly stepped foot in Macau.)

Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is a monster of a city. Just the thought of it is enough to scare you with her sheer size. Yet, despite that, the airport leaves little to be desired. I took a last minute flight to Manila, on Christmas Eve itself, after celebrating Christmas Eve Mass in Kuala Lumpur. Timed just right, I was due to arrive in Manila at ‘absurd o’clock,’ when, hopefully, I can check-in at the hotel early and have a whole day exploring the city.

Now, the airport was a sheer nightmare. I have been to chaotic airports before. Medan Polonia is a throwback to the 70s, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta has terminals right but departures facilities a bit wrong, especially with lounges, and Denpasar-Bali before the renovations is sheer madness. I landed at Manila International’s new Terminal 3, and the layout felt very dated, despite being operational for just around 2 years.

I have nothing against ‘different’ layouts or basic facilities. I do, however, have a bit of an issue with poorly designed arrival facilities, especially immigration. In most airports with international arrivals, there is a ‘resident/X nationals’ lane and an ‘others’ lane. In most major Asia-Pacific airports, there is even an ‘APEC/Diplomatic’ lane. In Manila Ninoy Aquino International Terminal 3, it was all muddled up, no separation of the masses.

The queue went on for miles, and with no separation between locals/foreigners at counters, understandably, first timers can easily get confused. With 3 flights arriving simultaneously and only maybe 6 out of 26 counters open with hundreds of passengers, it was a nightmare waiting to happen. I arrived at 4am, so I wasn’t expecting that many people.

In the end, I waited until 5.30 am to finally reach a counter, get my passport stamped and officially enter the Philippines. Contrary to their tourism marketing promo, everything is not more fun in the Philippines, especially waiting for more than an hour to pass immigration.

Yet after the airport hiccup, I was pleasantly surprised with Manila. It took a few minutes to adjust to the fact that they drive on the right side of the road, but otherwise, to get from Manila Ninoy Acquino International Airport to the Mandarin Oriental Manila in Makati City, it took me all of 20 minutes smooth sailing at 6.15am, costing just under US$5. The perfect way to start a pre- and traffic hour taxi ride comparison.

Most loyal and beloved? It is beloved if the traffic was as smooth sailing as that on a very regular basis.

Much Delayed

Yes, it has been quite a while since my last posting. To say that I have been busy is partly true, but I could always make time. Nay, I have been lazy, and other things have somehow conspired to prevent me from writing.

Why you ask? A trail running marathon last month and a few trips and conferences amongst others, so training for it did take up much time.

But alas! Time is back on my side-ish. The much delayed reportage on Manila, and Singapore from a different perspective is up next. That, and perhaps a curious outlook on the city formerly known as Saigon: Ho Chi Minh City.