As the song says, you'll definitely comeback to Manila.
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A random sculpture located in Plaza Lawton. And I don’t know the purpose of the sculpture there.
Lacson Underpass, Manila
Built in the early 1960’s, the underpass is the first underground pedestrian crossing in the country. It was Mayor Lacson’s project before he died, but it was his successor Antonio Villegas who finished it and as a tribute to him, the underpass was named after Lacson.
It was a way to get to different parts of Quiapo without ever going to cross the busy Quezon Boulevard. It was renovated in the 2000, and if I remember correctly, that time the underpass was fully airconditioned.
A clean and not-so-crowded-with-hawkers-and-beggars Plaza Miranda and Quiapo Church, anyone has seen this kind of scene in their living memory?
This is the former headquarters of HSBC in Plaza Cervantes in the Old Central Business District of Binondo. It still looks intact but is abandoned and badly needs a savior. El Hogar and Banco Nacional Building among others are somehow in the repairs already. You could still see the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, though faded, above the building.
Paco Park
Located in General Luna Street in Paco, the Paco Park is a popular wedding and cultural venue with a creepy origin. It was once Manila’s municipal cemetery for its elite class. It was built in the late 18th century, finished only in 1822 with an oval plan and a chapel inside dedicated to Saint Pancratius. During a Cholera Epidemic in Manila, it became the interment site of the cholera victims to minimize the spread of the disease. An outer wall had been added later to accomodate increasing population. In 1912, the use of it as a cemetery has been discontinued, prompting the old families in Manila - whose generations of ancestors had been interred there - to transfer the remains to other places. During the war, it became a garrison for the retreating Japanese forces since the walls provide good cover and defense. It was only in 1966 that it became a National Park and it was renovated later years. Currently it is a popular wedding venue and is the venue for the cultural show Paco Park Presents.
Add or subtract some couple meters from where I stood when I shot this photo. I bet that was the same point where the photographer shot the archival photo. See how much has changed in that street for a century.
Actually, there is another archival photo of the same street featuring Quiapo’s grand Mansions and the same perspective of San Sebastian but security reasons hinder me from doing this. I wish Quiapo is just as safe and nice to photograph like the old photos.
The Patron Saints of Manila
They are located in the facade of the Manila Cathedral. They were also present in the prewar Manila Cathedral, the only difference is that they are made from Molave wood, apparently to minimize load of the cathedral structure. Now, they are made from Roman travertine stone.
The City Hall during the Spanish Times.
Ayuntamiento de Manila
Intramuros, Manila
“Young Man, Look Up!” -God
I bet the same eye tricks are employed in the facade of churches. Some parts of the facade of churches accentuate verticality, making people look up… to the heavens.
San Sebastian Church, Manila
Sunny Day in Manila, and these photos made me think if indeed I really snapped Manila. Those cloud formations too… are so interesting to look at.
Manila in these photographs did not look like the normal Manila we all knew.
Hizzoner’s View
Plaza Lacson (formerly Plaza Goiti)
Santa Cruz, Manila
There are some signs that money and commerce are flowing back from where it came from.
Muelle del Banco Nacional
Binondo, Manila
Carriedo Waterworks Hydrant
This is one of the few surviving public water hydrants when a comprehensive waterworks system was established in Manila by the behest of the Don Francisco Carriedo. There were 200 public water hydrants, 150 fire hydrants and 5 fountains that were established. Among the 5 fountains, I know that the one infront of Santa Cruz Church and 2 in front of Binondo Church survives. The two fountains in Binondo Church are as well Carriedo Fountains. The public water hydrants (in the photo) provide safe and potable water for all the people of Manila when it was established in 1882. You should get free water from the mouth of the Lion Gargoyle in the hydrant.
Photo taken at Paco Park, Manila
Read More:
The Carriedo Fountain and Manila’s first water pipeline system
An effigy is a sculptural representation of a well-known human being, usually gracing church entrance or any other prominent buildings obviously in Church Architecture it is borrowed from the west. The Fu Dog is a sculpture of an animal in Oriental Buildings, to signify that the building is prominent or is the home of a well-known person. The Fu Dog is always in pairs. The Fu Dog is very much borrowed from Oriental Culture.
The East meets the West, San Agustin Church, Manila.
