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.