Manila must-dos

By Tom Cockrem
Publisher:The Star - Publication Date: 24-02-2008

As an Asian capital city, Manila may not be everyone’s first love. But it’s close to being mine.

The infrastructural negatives aside, this is a vibrant metropolis, whose population must rate be the most convivial in the world. There is history here as well, a legacy from the colonial Spanish who occupied the city for some 500 years.

So these are my favourites among Manila’s many great attractions:

Bay Walk

Everyone loves Bay Walk. It’s a relatively new development that takes in the once scruffy foreshore of eight lane Roxas Boulevard where it hugs Manila Bay. This longtime no-go zone has been spruced into a well-lit user-friendly promenade, with outdoor eateries and live entertainment. The effect is stunning.

I join the locals who flock down for a sunset promenade. There are a dozen or more food outlets to choose from, offering anything from Japanese to Italian. Each place features quality live acts – rock, folk, cabaret, country. Take your pick of music and cuisine. And you might do as I do – sit down for favourite kind of show, and have a coffee or a beer.

Quiapo

I first went to Quiapo because everything in life I wanted – or so went local wisdom – awaited me there. And it was just about true. This market’s got the lot – super fresh foodstuff, hawker treats, fast food, cheap “designer” clothes, electrical goods, camera shops and handicrafts. Best of all, it’s almost motor-free.

There is also the great cavernous old Quiapo Church which houses the iconic “Black Nazarene”. It was the cult following inspired by this image of Christ – plus the huge twice-yearly procession in its honour – that helped establish the precinct as Manila’s 1950s CBD (central business district).

The market lies on the north side of the Pasig River, just across the Quezon Bridge. You can come by taxi or jeepney. There is also an LRT (light rail transit) station at the top of Carriedo Street.

Antiques

I have never once left Manila without at least one souvenir – some irresistible tribal artefact or antique. The amazing variety of treasures on sale reflects the many different cultures of the Philippines through the centuries.

There are Ming and Ching Dynasty porcelains from China; superbly crafted furniture and religious icons from the Spanish; from Luzon’s northern hilltribes come trade beads, woodcarvings, superlative basketry and weaves. Their Muslim counterparts down south in Mindanao have their own distinctive versions of all these, and superb Moorish weaponry as well.

The best antique shops are in Ermita, mainly along M.H. Del Pilar and Mabini streets. My two favourite outlets are in the old Padre Faura Centre on the corner of Del Pilar and Padre Faura. They offer a true eclectic range of collectibles, anything from delicate Japanese miniatures to full-sized wooden carts. Good hunting!

Jeepney ride

Love them or hate them, jeepneys are the cheapest and most convenient form of transport in Manila. Their prototypes were the real jeeps the Americans left after the war. The Filipinos used them as taxis, then made their own versions. These were inevitably more flamboyant, with copious chrome, psychedelic colour schemes and flags. Catching a jeepney is an experience in itself.

I learnt the hard way. Having first bumped my head as I got in at the back, I did the same again on the ceiling as I hunted down a seat.

The passengers, typically, squeezed up tight to let me sit. Payment entails trusting your pesos to a fellow passenger who obligingly passes them on to the driver. The change comes back the same way. And remember – knock twice on the ceiling when you want to alight.

The Intramuros Wall

Manila’s old walled city – Intramuros – would stand today as a showpiece of Spanish colonial splendour had it not been shelled into virtual oblivion in the Pacific War. The great stone wall, though, has been mostly rebuilt. And it’s great fun to walk around. It stretches 4km, but there are plenty of places to rest along the way.

I was delighted to discover some air-conditioned eateries housed within the wall’s old vaulted chambers. There is even a Starbucks. I came across a drama rehearsal, a youth group meeting and a soccer game!

Infamous Fort Santiago overlooks the Pasig River. Once notorious for its dungeons, it now hosts a museum devoted to the Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal. And one church only was left standing after the war. This is the 400-year-old St Augustins Church and Monastery. It abounds in ecclesiastic splendour.

Tondo Church on Sunday

Don’t be put off by its name. For Tondo is the home of Manila’s most notorious slum. The old church, though, is in a more developed precinct, and safe as houses on a Sunday.

Built in the 1870s, Tondo is typical of the hundreds of grand stone churches that the Augustinian friars built throughout the Philippine archipelago. Their style is known as Philippine Baroque, which means they are decidedly eclectic.

You rarely see a car, only jeepneys and pedicabs (pedaled taxis). Hawkers do a ripping trade in fragrant garlands, amulets and balloons outside the church.

The service is magnificent. There is passion and conviction of a type you rarely witness in churches in the West. The priest delivers his hell fire sermon from down amidst the congregation in the aisle. Now try ignoring that!

Robinsons Place

I usually avoid shopping malls. To me they lack soul. But I make an exception of Robinsons in Ermita. The place is abuzz with local life. The main attraction is its amazing range of outlets. Every taste is catered for, and well-nigh every budget. Much of the floor space is given over to market-style shopping, with stalls selling snack foods, underwear and accessories – even antiques and guitars.

For genuine Philippine cuisine, you have the popular third floor food court, and there are up-scale places such as La Piadina or Tang City.

For coffee, there’s a mind-boggling choice: Figaro, Starbucks, Coeur de France, Delifrance, Gloria Jones, Coffee Beanery, Cinnabon and Countrystyle Bakeshop – to name a few.

There are also two cinema complexes, a mobile phone “court”, a ten-pin bowling alley, a huge fun parlour and Robinsons Department Store itself. This is one shopping mall that’s got Filipino soul!

WHEN TO GO: The best time to visit is during the dry and cooler season from November to February.

LOCAL TRANSPORT: Jeepneys are the most common and cheapest way to get around the city. Taxis are incredibly cheap, numerous and air-conditioned. There are also shared mini-buses that are also air-conditioned and cost next to nothing (around five pesos for short trips), but they get extremely crammed.

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