Lawton, Manila

Liwasang Bonifacio
Lawton, Manila City
10 February 2009

Like what I said in my last post, after taking pictures of the Pasig River, brother and I walked towards Lawton where we would take the bus going home. We have been taking pictures of the main Post Office Building and the Liwasang Bonifacio whenever we have the chance to, but my brother I should also take pictures of the columns in the Post Office Building. Well, it was indeed my first time to get as close as I can to the building (which is also my favorite Philippine Building), so why not?

Hoping my cell phone battery won’t die on me, here are the pictures I took of the Manila Central Post Office Building:




This building, being the main office of the Philippine Postal Corporation, houses the country’s main mail sorting business. The building was designed by Filipino architect Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano and was built in 1926. It was severely damaged during the World War II, but was rebuilt in 1946, preserving the original design.

Fronting the building was the Liwasang Bonifacio:








Built as a tribute to the great son of Manila, Andres Bonifacio, who led the Katipunan during the Spanish Regime.

With that last shot, my cell phone’s battery died. No problem, I think I was able to capture enough moments. Anyway, this won’t be the last time I’d drop by this place, so expect more pictures from Lawton soon.

Just a little history lesson before I end this post:

The place was named after American General Henry Ware Lawton (1843-1899).
General Lawton was the highest ranking American official killed in the
Philippine-American War (1899-1902) when he was shot by a Filipino sharpshooter
at the Battle of Paye (now in Morong, Rizal) on December 19, 1899. He was
initially buried at the Manila North Cemetery and his remains were subsequently
moved to Arlington National Cemetery.

In the 1970's Lawton Plaza was
officially changed to Liwasang Bonifacio (after Philippine hero, Andres
Bonifacio). However, people have been so used to calling this place Plaza Lawton
that the old name is still commonly used to this day.

{SOURCE}

Happy Sunday, everyone!

*** Jenn ***

Pasig River

Pasig River (Manila Side)
10 February 2009




From Manila Cathedral, brother and I took the jeepney going to Lawton where we would take the bus home. As the jeepney cruised, brother took notice of the river, and asked if I would like to take pictures. Since we’re already there, I saw no reason why, so off we went.

Taken from Wikipedia:

The Pasig River (called Ilog Pasig in Filipino) is a river in the Philippines
and connects Laguna de Bay (via the Napindan Channel) into Manila Bay. It
stretches for 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) and divides Metro Manila into two. Its
major tributaries are the Marikina River and San Juan River.

The Pasig
River is technically a tidal estuary in that the flow direction depends upon the
water level difference between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. During the dry
season, the water level in Laguna de Bay is low and the flow direction of the
Pasig River depends on the tides. During the wet season, when the water level of
Laguna de Bay is high, flow is normally from Laguna de Bay towards Manila Bay.

The Pasig River used to be an important transport route in Spanish
Manila. However, due to negligence and industrial development, the river has
become very polluted and is considered dead (unable to sustain life) by
ecologists.

The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) was
established to oversee rehabilitation efforts for the river. Supporting the PRRC
are private sector organizations i.e. Clean and Green Foundation, Inc. who
implemented the Piso para sa Pasig (Filipino: A peso for the Pasig) campaign.

I am not sure of the exact location of these pictures, but I was able to see “Escolta” just across, so I am guessing it’s the name of the place. =) I am looking forward to come back to this place to take more pictures as I only had my cell phone that time, which was also running low on battery. My brother was inviting me to go to Binondo (Chinatown) since it’s pretty much walking distance if we really wanted to walk, but I told him I didn’t want to “waste” my first visit in Binondo with a draining cell phone as my camera, so after the few shots taken, we walked to Lawton.

I am actually optimistic that the River would be resurrected. Recalling a past ferry boat ride along the river when I was about 14 years old, the river nowadays was much cleaner and more pleasant to the nose. But, as long as there were people living in shanties along the river, the vision of seeing the river breathe life would be difficult. But I am keeping my hopes up. I am sure all will be well.

*** Jenn ***

A Glimpse of the Manila Cathedral

Date: 10 February 2009
Place: Manila Cathedral
Cabildo cor Beaterio Streets
Intramuros, Manila
Telephone: (632) 5273093 / Fax: (632) 5360192

My sister chose to do her internship at a shipping company so she could also travel while working. She basically lived inside the ship - working as a crew, and chances for her to go out was very minimal, although there were times the ship would dock in different ports in Visayas and Mindanao. When the ship docked in Manila North Harbor, she sent us a text message if we could visit her and deliver her some important items like laundry soap and other personal items.
Brother and I visited her and waited until the ship left for Bacolod in Negros Occidental before we left the harbor, and since it was already lunch time, we decided to go back to Intramuros to eat and also so I could take pictures of Manila Cathedral for my Project 365.




Recalling from memory, there were seven cathedrals situated in Intramuros, but only two survived the test of time - the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church. This church was elevated to the rank of Basilica Minore in 1981 by Pope John Paul II, and is officially named Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

The second picture shows the two most popular mode of transportation in Intramuros - the jeepney and the kalesa (horse drawn carriage).


The Plaza Roma - which is just right in front of the Manila Cathedral was once called “Plaza Mayor” during the Spanish Regime, and was called “Plaza McKinley” during the American Regime. In 1960, following a reciprocal agreement between the Vatican and the Philippine government, it became Plaza de Roma, or Plaza Roma (a Piazza Manila was built in Rome). This plaza was once witness to raucous bull fights and other public events until it was converted to a garden in 1797. The bronze statue was of King Carlos IV of Spain was installed in 1824 as a tribute for having sent the first smallpox vaccine to the Philippines.

Some pictures from the area:


“Freezing” the water from the fountain in Plaza Roma, overlooking the Manila Cathedral.


Located at the side of the cathedral was the Ayuntamiento - where once seat of City Council of Manila was located. Sadly, the building was destroyed in the Battle of Manila in 1945. Currently, the place is being rehabilitated for future use.

All the pictures in this post were taken using my cell phone - at that time, our digital camera was with sister as she needed to document her internship, and I still haven’t bought my current camera.

*** Jenn ***

Mang Inasal SM Fairview

Date: 11 January 2009
Place: Mang Inasal - Upper Ground Floor, SM Fairview

It was in 2003 when twenty year old businessman Edgar "Injap" Sia II opened Mang Inasal (Mr. Inasal) in Iloilo. It was loved by the Ilonggos and soon, it branched out in Visayas and Mindanao, and it eventually made its way in Metro Manila.

The first time I have heard of this food place was through my ex-boyfriend, who was based in Dumaguete City. We were talking about chicken inasal, and he spoke of this food place, making me want to taste it as well.

A few years later after that conversation with the ex-boyfriend, we found out that a branch opened in SM Fairview, so the family decided to give it a taste.





The store.



The service area. The TV on the wall shows snippets on how to eat the chicken inasal, and some information about the store in general.



Grill time! :)

"Inasal" is the way Ilonggos grill their meat. Of all the chicken dishes, this is my favorite - I just love the mix of flavors, truly different from the ways of how to grill chicken. Essential ingredients in the marinade included lemongrass hearts, ginger, soy sauce, and lemon/lime soda. Another unique trait of this dish is the use of annatto oil in basting the chicken, making it smell, look, and taste delicious.

Mang Inasal has many food items in their menu including - Bangus Sinigang, Beef Sinigang, Burgers, and a lot more... but we ordered these foods:



For mom - PM 3 (or Paborito Meal 3) consisting of two sticks of Pork Barbecue and rice wrapped in banana leaves.



For us siblings - PM 1 and 2. People have the choice of their chicken part - be it breast / wing or thigh. Brother and sister had the breast part, while I went for the thigh part.



For the family to share - Bangus Inasal. Butterfly cut milkfish grilled the inasal way.





Typically, chicken inasal is eaten just like in anyway people eat grilled chicken, but aside from the way it was cooked, eating this food also has it's unique way. First, take out the banana leaves wrapping the rice, and drop some chicken oil on it. Of course, you have the option to skip this one, because as much as it taste good, it's still chicken oil. :) Next, squeeze out the juice from the kalamansi in a small saucer and mix in soy sauce and spiced vinegar. Crush in chili if you want, and using your hands, take out some meat and dip it in the condiment.

The restaurant encourages people to eat it the Ilonggo way - kinamot, or by hands. Believe me, it was much better to eat this dish using the hands, but if you're a little apprehensive, they do provide utensils.

I can cook my own chicken inasal, and I have tasted several inasal served by other restaurants, but this one tasted really good. I loved my eating experience here, and the fact that they do serve unlimited rice made my tummy really full. Their foods are just right on the pocket, and since this visit, whenever the family wanted to eat a lot, we go here.

The store in SM Fairview proved to be a small one - with so many people wanting to eat their food, I hope in time they can expand, because there are times that we can't eat there because it's already a full house.

*** Jenn ***

PS:

Although we order the same kind of foods whenever we eat here, we also tried their halo halo in our later visit, and it was delicious as well. A very great dessert, indeed!

The Church Near SM Mall of Asia

Date: 02 January 2009
Place: The Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus - The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Central Business Park
Reclamation Area, Pasay City
Phone Numbers: +63 (2) 556-6175, +63 (2) 556-6176, Mobile: +63 (918) 910-4245




After sister and I took pictures by the globe fronting SM Mall of Asia, we decided to go look for that Dinos Alive thing, since we were already there. We just took pictures outside because we don’t have enough money for the tickets. Actually, we were just happy to be outside, take pictures of the iguanas. =)

Sister said there’s a church near SM Mall of Asia, and since it was still quite early, we thought of passing by it as well, to maximize the time we had in the area. It was near the SMX Convention Center, and when we arrived, the church was still closed. We were a bit exhausted from walking, so we sat in the benches outside the SMX Center just to catch our breath and massage our legs and feet. It was a great thing we relaxed a bit, for the church was opened a little past 4PM. At least we were able to do what we wanted to do!

Pictures:


The facade.


The altar.


A shot of the interiors from the altar.


Schedule of services.

According to the church’s website, this church as well as the Pope John Paul II Youth Center (located just outside the church) was a fulfillment of the late Pope’s dream to have a center for the young people as he expressed during the World Youth Day celebration in 1995. The Shrine and the Youth Center is a fitting monument to the unprecedented attendance to the Holy Father’s Eucharistic Celebration at the Luneta Park, wherein more than six million people from all walks of life, from different corners of the world gathered, to join the said celebration. In the Pope’s message to the young people in attendance, he highlighted that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life.

It was also a project of former Archbishop of Manila, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin. (Source)

After saying some prayers, sister and I went back to the SM Mall of Asia Bay Area, but still took some pictures on our way out:


A beautiful window decor made of wood and capiz shells. See the globe? That’s how far we walked!

The next time I go back here, I will really try to hear the mass and visit the JPII Youth Center.

*** Jenn ***