Legazpi Active Park

Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center

We brought my Swiss niece Mandy to the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center along Quezon Avenue right next to the Quezon Memorial Rotunda.  The family used to frequent the area in the seventies, and while the trees have grown taller and the area is free from litter, it seems that the park is desolate.  To put it in bold words--depressingly empty.  We hope that someone can breathe life into this park.

Crane and Turtle Garden

30th St. Park

I feel that Manila lacks public parks.  The few spaces devoted to greenery are ill-kept and worn.  If I were a billionaire philanthropist, I'd acquire city properties to turn into permanent parks.  Although I have my misgivings about the master-planning at Fort Bonifacio Global City (why no underground pedestrian walkways?), I must give credit where credit is due--they created some public parks!  Nice patches of restful greens in the middle of the Taguig concrete jungle.

Mount Samat National Shrine

Over the Christmas holidays, on Melanie's urging, we took a trip to the Dambana ng Kagitingan atop Mount Samat in Bataan.  The shrine is a memorial for Filipino and American soldiers who fought for freedom in WWII.  It was a leisurely drive for our 3 car convoy, and we got to the shrine at just past 11am.  I was pleasantly surprised that the shrine was well kept and that the elevator to the top of the cross was functional.

The mural (above) looked to me like a depiction of a peace offering to the Greek gods; the security guard told me that the stained glass was crafted in Italy (he also said that there were 448 steps from the colonnade to the foot of the cross tower).  I also thought that the giant urns (below) were supposed to be lit with the eternal flame, but it seems to me that the Armed Forces of the Philippines doesn't have a budget for all that LPG. 

A lot of critics have questioned the rational of putting up a shrine to remember the Fall of Bataan, a military defeat.  The critics don't realize that the underdog resistance that the 100,000 strong army put up delayed the invasion and occupation timetable of the Japanese by four months.

The museum at the base of the colonnade has a lot of interesting information, but needs more lighting.  Entrance fee is reasonable, if I remember correctly, it was something like P30 per person.

Jaime C. Velasquez Park

I just enjoy oasis parks, like the Jaime C. Velasquez Park in the middle of Salcedo Village in Makati.  You can find some peace and quiet, some solitude even, right in the middle of the Central Business District.  Might not be as large as Central Park, but still the concept is essentially the same!

A little bit of history--Col. Jaime Velasquez was a graduate of West Point, and became the aide-de-camp of President Quezon during the pre-war years.  After the war, he joined the Ayala Corporation, and together with Col. Joseph McMicking, painstakingly transformed the Makati marshlands with a master blueprint.  Today's Makati CBD is the end result of their vision and foresight.

Osaka Castle

On the Boulevard

While everyone was having breakfast at Chico's I took a fast stroll around the Dumaguete boulevard--memories of running around here when we were kids came flooding back.  Kong Kong used to tell me stories about there being a diving platform located several meters off the shoreline, and that when they were kids, the siblings would swim all the way up to the platform.  The boulevard is different now, more ships to see, more pubs blaring loud music, more tourists, more hotels--progress is evident.  Thinking out loud, I kept on humming to myself that Manhattan Transfer song "On the Boulevard," and I just had a big smile on my face, reminiscing about the good old days!

Marker commemorating the arrival of the sisters of St. Paul

Washington Sycip Park

Strolling along Legaspi Village last week, I came across the Washington Sycip Park in between Gamboa and Legaspi streets.  It was the first time that I learned the park's name, but it's not surprising that the park is named after the founder of one of the country's premier audit firms, SGV & Company, given the numerous contributions that he has made to the Philippine business scene since liberation.  As you can see in these pictures, it's pretty well kept and nicely manicured.

I love city parks--they induce that feeling of serenity and calm, a brief place for pause and solitude in the middle of the concrete jungle.  It's just too bad that we have very little space in Metro Manila dedicated to parks, and if I were a billionaire philanthropist, I'd purchase pockets of land for conversion into city parks.  Given the hot humid climate we have, a lot of people prefer to spend time in malls than in parks.

Time moves at a turtle's pace when you are in a rush, but when you are enjoying yourself, time can move as fast as a speeding bullet.  I remember I spent hours just strolling around Central Park in New York (yes, hotdogs & souvlaki galore) or Hyde Park in London (overcast and chilly but still a darling), and as the day ended, I'd wonder to myself what I had actually done.  Well, the list included sitting down to enjoy the view, walking around to enjoy the pathways, eating ice cream, simply doing nothing except strolling and smiling to strangers.  To me, that's the most definitive luxury--spend quality time doing nothing, simply living life and enjoying with family and friends!

The artist Impy Pilapil has conceived of a wishing table in which you can write your wishes using a provided reed and some water (as ink).  When the water evaporates, it is assumed that your wish has gone up to the gods for perusal!

This gazebo reminds me of the landmark in Cebu that houses the cross that Magellan brought to the Philippines.  Don't you think so?