Located on a hill overlooking the town of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur and surrounded by a defensive wall, the imposing Church on a hilltop can be reached via hill side steps or by a service road with entrance at the back of the brick structure designed to Augustinians to withstand earthquakes.

no lens wide enough for Tutubi to take a full frontal photo of Sta. Maria Church's facade so this one would do. tip: visit it in the early morning as the church is facing east or late afternoon
the interi0r of the church is unmistakeably baroque with the usual four gospel writers, pulpit and gold-leaf decorated retablo (tableau)

Original church structure by Augustinians as a chapel in 1769 with patron Our Lady of Assumption (Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion). The present stone and brick church was built in 1810 as stated on the NHI marker on the church facade. It's presently undergoing restoration and structural support repair to make it last for posterity.

massive buttresses line the church walls to support it in case of earthquakes

the church bell tower a few feet away from the main church structure

What makes Sta. Maria Church unique is that it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines (the three others are San Agustin Church Manila, Miag-ao Church in Iloilo and San Agustin Church (Paoay Church) in Ilocos Norte). The church has remarkable universal value that should be preserved for the benefit of mankind.

Sporting the earthquake baroque architecture distinguished by it's massive buttresses to withstand earthquakes common in the Philippines and a belfry separate from the main church so as not to "bang heads" with each other during temblors.

Tutubi intends to visit the other two UNESCO World Heritage Baroque Churches someday. He missed Paoay Church during his Ilocos tour in 2003 but will surely won't the next time

Labels: Architecture, Churches, Ilocos Region, Ilocos Sur, UNESCO

Jai Alai building, an elegant art deco architectural gem, with cylindrical glass front and "Sky Room" emblazoned on the facade, that Tutubi used to see almost everyday whenever he passed by Taft Avenue, near Rizal Park, in Manila when he was a student in the 90's.

Designed by architect Welton Becket in the art deco style and completed in 1940, it quickly became the home of the pelota game from Basque and frequented by the rich and famous.

Photo of Jai Alai building on Taft avenue, Manila by Carl Mydans


The Jai Alai building survived World War II, was renovated and used til the 1980s.

Jai Alai Building in ruins after the Second World War

The Jai Alai deteriorated in 1986 when the government sequestered the property and placed it under the jurisdiction of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) after the Edsa Revolution that soon became a shelter for squatters.

On July 15, 2000, the elegant Jai Alai fronton's demolition began furtively on the orders of Manila mayor Lito Atienza, the heritage-ignorant Manila mayor, to make way for the planned Manila Hall of Justice.

Up to this time, the hall of justice was never constructed and the Jai Alai building formed part of Tutubi's reminiscence, even if badly needing renovation during it's last years. It still exuded the charm Tutubi saw though not yet aware of it's heritage and architectural significance.

It was the demolition of the Jai Alai building that caught the ire of artists and heritage conservationist in the Philippines.

On the other side of the globe, the demolition of New York's Penn Station in October 1963 awakened heritage conservation advocates and were able to save other historical and architecturally-significant buildings in the United States.

The same didn't happen in the Philippines. Left and right, save a few, architectural heritage gems were demolished even with the pleas of advocates; the pending Heritage Bill even rots in Congress due to preoccupation with charter change to serve their own ends.

One of the latest victories though of heritage conservationists is the recent declaration by the Manila City Council of the Xavier House in Sta. Ana, Manila, near Sta. Ana Church and Plaza Calderon, as a landmark thus sparing the historic building from future demolition.

Xavier house was the home of Radyo Bandido setup by well-loved Jesuit priest Fr. James Reuters during the 1986 EDSA "People Power" revolution.

If you're a Filipino who doesn't care about old, architecturally and historically significant buildings, who wants 'em "oldies" to give way in the name of progress, progress that can really continue even without erasing the legacy, you're missing the point for it's really part of the nation's culture that needs preservation for posterity and not just an old building.


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Notes:

Jai Alai is claimed to be the fastest game in the world due to the velocity of the ball during play. The Jai Alai uses a ball covered with goatskin and caught using a cesta that looks like a basket in the hands of the players.

Jai Alai was banned in the Philippines in 1986 due to allegations of game fixing as well as calls from anti-gambling advocates who claim the game encourages betting and gambling.

Labels: Architecture

The first destination of Tutubi's DIY tour of Tacloban took him to the Leyte Provincial Capitol, an almost immaculate white neo-classical building that once served as Capitol Building of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during the period dubbed as days of liberation of World War II that began with the historic Battle of Leyte Gulf and Leyte invasion.

The capitol building sports a neo-classical architectural style typical of American-era government edifices.




NHI Historical Marker reads:

"Capitol Building of the Philippines, 1944-1945

On the steps of this Capitol Building of Leyte was formally installed, 23 October 1944, Sergio Osmena as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the presence of cabinetmen, liberation forces and many other grateful people. Henceforth, until 27 February 1945, this edifice served as the Capitol Building of the Philippines."




After the bloody and disastrous Battle of Manila, the seat of the national government moved to its home in Manila.

Two bas reliefs can be found on both sides of the capitol: a depiction of the "first mass" on Limasawa Island and the landing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur on Red Beach, Palo, Leyte.

Inside the capitol was an exhibit on the 64th anniversary of the Leyte landing celebration last month including photographs and memoirs other historic events in Leyte and Samar including the Balangiga massacre during the Philippine-American War.

Notes:

Then Vice President Sergio Osmena, whose face you see featured on the P50 bill, was installed president of the Commonwealth due to the death of President Manuel Quezon on August 1, 1944 in New York, after a long fight against tuberculosis (a highly-cureable disease these days). He was with President Quezon on Corregidor Island and left the island for the United States to establish the Philippine government in exile. After the war, he lost the presidential elections of 1946 to Manuel Roxas (the face on the P100 bill), the first president of the new independent Republic of the Philippines. He retired in Cebu, his home province, died in 1961 and buried at Manila North Cemetery.

The site of the first mass in the Philippines and second anchorage of Ferdinand Magellan, after Homonhon, in 1521 is still disputed. It's historically recorded as Mazaua by Antonio Figafetta, Magellan's chronicler who was able to return to Spain after Magellan was killed in The Battle of Mactan against Lapu-lapu. The "official" stand of the NHI shot down arguments that Limasawa has no anchorage for large boats and disregarded the accounts of Gines de Mafra, the only person to have visited Mazaua twice, first with Magellan and the second time with the ill-fated expedition of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, who pointed Mazaua to an island not Limasawa, but somewhere in Butuan in northern Mindanao. More of this in future posts...

Labels: Architecture, Leyte, Tacloban City, World War II

Malabon, a former visita of Tondo and called Tambobong before it was changed to Malabon, (in)famous for the floods and the high stainless steel padyak (pedicabs) was the recent conquest of Tutubi, where he joined an event aptly called "Halina Lusungin Natin ang Malabon" organized by people with pride of place in their hometown

The tour's designated meeting place was Pescadores Restaurant (pescadores means fishermen in Spanish) at the corner of Letre Road and Dagat-dagatan Avenue, where a hearty lunch was served gratis to all guests. Notable of the food served were the unique patis-flavored adobo (usual adobo recipes use toyo (soy sauce) and not patis (fish sauce)) and Pancit Malabon, the eponymous comfort food of the city closely related to pancit luglug and pancit palabok.

After a brief introduction, the group was arranged into more manageable groupings and proceeded in convoy to our destination.

On passing the bridge, Tutubi was able to snap a photo of Asilo de Huérfanos (Asylum of Orphans) made of adobe. It was at Asilo de Huerfanos where the newspaper of the Philippine Revolution and subsequently of the Philippine-American War, the Antonio Luna-guided La Independencia, was said to be first printed as displayed on the newspaper's masthead. (In reality, this was just to mislead the Spanish authorities, the printing press was located in a clandestine location in Manila, the same printing press of the earlier La Libertad (Kalayaan) paper ordered closed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo).

Picture of Asilo de Huérfanos taken through the tinted window of the van

The group first visited the San Bartolome church with its Greek-style columns and saw the ghastly renovations being done that practically erased the original features of the heritage church.

Across the street is Betsy's Cake House to have a taste of their broas, soft and delicious unique to malabon though quite pricey (for the penny-pinching Tutubi) at P17.50 a piece. The works of a contemporary of Fernando Amorsolo (a Philippine National Artist in painting), silent artist Serafin Serna, were on display with his conservative style of painting.

Betsy's Broas

Concepcion Church

After a short pilgrimage to Concepcion Church, with it's large ceiling paintings, a tour of old heritage houses ensued, first with the Dionisio house (still beautiful but unoccupied), the beautifully preserved Borja House, the sinking Gonzales House that features adaptive re-use of floodwater turned into a lagoon teeming with fish, and three Luna houses, one of which has a ceiling painting by Fernando Amorsolo. (The group weren't able to enter the house where Amorsolo's painting is present due to the owner's request not to be disturbed owing to a recent stroke). Nearby is also Dolor's Kakanin famous for their sapin-sapin.

Dionisio House

Borja House in front of Concepcion Church

Luna House, with a ceiling painting of Fernando Amorsolo

Gonzales House dated 1877, notice the half-submerged window and the 1877 date prominently displayed



Old Spanish heritage houses of Malabon, like typical bahay na bato (stone houses) architecture, are usually two-storey structures. The ground floor is made up of brick stones or adobe while the second floor made of wood. Use of capiz (a kind of mother of pearl) on large windows to allow light to enter the room (Capiz is to the Philippines; Paper is to the Japanese) aided by high ceilings, ventanillas (small windows) or wood balusters permit efficient air circulation and ventilation suited for the tropical climate of the Philippines. The floorings on the first floor are usually made of piedra china (Chinese granite) and the wooden, balustered stairs usually narra or mulawin. Walls and ceilings are mostly made of wood adorned with highly detailed designs reminiscent of a genteel bygone era.

A detour at Angel Cacnio house and gallery, housing various works of art by Angel Cacnio and his son Ferdie Cacnio, later spiced by an inside look at the famous Rufina Patis Factory introduced the guests to the hidden gems of the city.

A visit to the Martinez house, a short walk from Rufina Patis Factory where the guests were treated to a feast of Malabon specialties: pancit malabon, sumpia (how people of Malabon call their fried lumpia), puto sulot (a uniquely Malabon dessert made of glutinous rice), bibingka (rice cake that Tutubi found to taste better than Ferino's bibingka), puto bumbong (violet-colored glutinous rice steam-cooked in bamboo tubes served with grated coconuts and margarine), pichi-pichi (yellow, translucent, steamed grated cassava (or cassava flour) served with grated coconuts), kikiam (que-kiam), and tamarind-looking camachile biscuits.

After the Patis saga, an encounter with the oldest existing house in Malabon, the 1861 semi-submerged Raymundo house on the banks of Malabon River, which in reality used to be a strait separating the islands of Malabon and Navotas before a man-made activity that changed the geomorphology of the place, called reclamation, took place.

Raymundo House 1861

the Raymundo house from outside
The original Raymundo house original shown in the picture with a grand staircase. the first floor of the house is now submerged

The last stop of the tour was at Bahay Parokyano an art gallery catering to Malabon's grassroots artists.

Malabon has indeed many heritage houses needed to be preserved for posterity, various food unique to the city and historical sites that need to be promoted. It's such a shame the local government hasn't been promoting their city to the full potential and do away with the "mala-venice sa baha" image.

Tutubi and his friends extend their gratitude to the organizers of this event: Richard, Monchet et al.

For more pictures of Malabon, you may visit Richard's Multiply site.

How to get to Malabon:

Commute: In Monumento, accessible to buses on EDSA, or LRT Monumento station, there are jeepneys plying Malabon via Letre road to take you to the city proper and also pass by Pescadores Restaurant.

driving directions by car from EDSA going to Monumento, take Samson Road and go straight until you see the fork on the road (Letre Road), you'll see Pescadores Restaurant on the left.

Labels: Architecture, Malabon, Metro Manila, National Capital Region

Tutubi knows that this has been the subject of numerous blogs already, but here's Tutubi's own perspective of this award-winning building in a nondescript and congested part of Manila where Tutubi used to pass by during his college days (Tutubi lived 10 years in Sampaloc, by the way)

After the FEU tour, the group went, on Tutubi's suggestion, to Gota de Leche by crossing Nicanor Reyes St (formerly Morayta) passed by FEU gym and right turn to SH Loyola.

Gota de Leche, which means "drop of milk," was modeled after the Ospedale degli Innocenti, an orphanage in Florence created by Brunelleschi, a renowned Renaissance architect. Constructed in 1917, the building has been the home of La Proteccion de la Infancia, a charitable organization providing free pediatric care and food to poor "people in the neighborhood" of which Manila has so many of.





The building has an adjacent arcade with windows that shields the windows, with capiz (mother of pearl) shells, the hot tropical sun. Its architects, Arcadio and Juan Arellano, thus successfully adapted a Italian Renaissance architecture to a tropical setting.(The use of capiz was preferred then to allow light to enter the room, glass was hard and expensive to acquire that time, while the Japanese used paper for the same purpose.)

On the facade of the building are two relief carvings of angels and the words Salus Populi Supremo Lex, familiar Latin words from Cicero's De Legibus meaning "the health of the people is the supreme law"



this says "charitable prject of La Proteccion de la Infancia giving milk to babies. Inaugurated on San Pedro St., now Evangelista in Quiapo, 1907. Built a new building in Sampaloc, 1914. Designed by Arcadio and Juan Areallano based on Ospedale Degli Innocenti by Brunelleschi in Florence, Italy. Opened, 1915. Restored, 2002"




It's for this outstanding work of restoration and adaptive re-use that UNESCO awarded Gota de Leche the prestigious Asia-Pacific Heritage Conservation award in 2003. Other winners of this award were Far Eastern University and Nielson Tower (now Filipinas Heritage Library).

Gota De Leche
Address: 859 S. H. Loyola Street, Sampaloc, Manila
(ask the canteen people beside the place for assistance)

Tutubi's Note:
* unlike present modern buildings in Makati and Ortigas that look like transplanted buildings from New York, made of glass and steel, but not designed for tropical Philippines. Those buildings suffer from high power consumption due to the amount of air-conditioning required. Most buildings here were designed by foreigners not used to designing buildings for hot countries; contracted by Filipinos afflicted either with "National Inferiority Complex" or the debilitating disease called colonial mentality)

Labels: Architecture, Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, UNESCO

Throughout his college days, Tutubi passed by Espana and Lerma streets on his way to school and each time got amazed at the unique letters used in the Far Eastern University building visible from Quezon Boulevard. The name of the university emblazoned bearing a likeness to baybayin (wrongfully called alibata), the ancient script of forefathers of present day Filipinos.

This time, Tutubi joined a tour of the sprawling campus of FEU: its art deco gems, works of various national artists and a bonus trip to nearby Gota de Leche.

Tutubi arrived at FEU with J, and RM (of Project Manila) in J's black altis but their guide for the day, Ivan ManDy, didn't notice Tutubi and waited for him to arrive even if he's already inside taking some pictures.

The tour started with Ivan becoming "historical" again narrating various events that led to the introduction of Art Deco architecture in the Philippines in the roaring 20s.

One of four bas relief by noted Italian sculptor Francesco Monti. Other works include Quezon Memorial, Metropolitan Theater, Sto Domingo, Bonifacio Monument, Manila Central Post Office and University of Visayas

FEU campus is a complex of art deco buildings by Pablo Antonio with Nicanor Reyes Hall, the Girls High School (now called the FEU-East Asia College) and Boys High School (now called Law Building).

Nicanor Reyes Hall, with the baybayin-looking letters





Statues by National Artist Vicente Manansala

Merriam and Webster defines art deco as "a popular design style of the 1920s and 1930s characterized especially by bold outlines, geometric and zigzag forms, and the use of new materials (as plastic)." (Etymology: French Art Déco, from Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, an exposition of modern decorative and industrial arts held in Paris, France, in 1925)




Chapel designed by Felipe Mendoza



Stations of the Cross inside the FEU chapel by National Artist Carlos "Botong" Francisco



FEU auditorium

Mural by Antonio Dumlao


Noticed the letters looked like Baybayin (alibata), the ancient script of the ancestors of Filipinos that Tutubi uses to sign his photographs?

Owing to the exemplary conservation work done by the university, UNESCO awarded the university the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award in 2005.

During World War 2, the campus was used as a concentration camp by the Kempeitai and where Josefa Llanes Escoda, the founder of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, was executed.

After the FEU tour, Tutubi suggested visiting the nearby Gota de Leche building on S.H. Loyola St (formerly Lepanto), a request acquiesed by the gracious guide.

The university produced many outstanding graduates in it's existence but the greatest of them all, according to Tutubi graduated in 1967 with a degree in accounting.

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Tutubi's own eyes saw these other Art Deco Structures in Manila and other parts of the Philippines:

1. Jai Alai Fronton on Taft Avenue (Welton Becket, demolished 2004)
2. Avenue Theater (Juan Nakpil, demolished 2006)
3. Metropolitan Theater (The Met)(Juan Arellano, undergoing renovation)
4. Perez-Samanillo Building on Escolta (Andres Luna de San Pedro, good condition)
5. Rizal Memorial Stadium (Juan Nakpil, extant but neglected)
6. Capitol Theater on Escolta (Juan Nakpil, forlorn)
7. Quezon Bridge
8. Meralco Building on San Marcelino St
9. St. Cecilia Hall of St. Scholastica College (Andres Luna de San Pedro, excellent)
10. Sariaya, Quezon Municipal Hall (Juan Arellano, in use)
11. Nielson Tower now Filipinas Heritage Library
12. Orchid Garden Suites on Vito Cruz (Pablo Ocampo) in Malate, Manila

Note that most of Manila's art deco structures were reduced to rubble by the howitzers of Gen. MacArthur during the Liberation of Manila, by the order of the former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza in the case of Jai Alai or by demolition by the owners unable to find adaptive re-use of the edifices.

Labels: Architecture, Manila, Metro Manila, National Artists, National Capital Region, UNESCO, Universities

Back in the early 1900s, during the time of the American eagle period in our nation's history, there emerged the grand neo-classical and art deco style buildings in Manila; the Americans even brought in renowned architect and urban planner, Daniel Burnham, famous for shaping city plans of Washington, DC, Chicago, and Baguio, to plan the nation's capital.

While the United States' economy traversed the economic downward spiral due to the Great Depression, the Philippine economy rode high with unprecedented growth. Along with this came economic prosperity that made many foreigners coming to our shores dubbed then as the Pearl of the Orient.
One of those who came to the Philippines was Laurie Reuben Nielson, by way of New Zealand, quickly made successes in businesses. He later became involved in building an airport and aviation school in Manila, badly needed at that time, due to the booming needs of the economy. He was able to convince several investors in the airport project and secured a lease from Ayala y Cia for several hectares of land carved out of the vast Hacienda San Pedro de Makati.

The new airport, baptized Nielson Airport, was completed in 1937 and touted as the largest and most modern airport in Asia. It became the home of the country's first airline: Philippine Air Taxi Company (PATCO) and where Philippine Airlines made her maiden flight on March 15, 1941 to Baguio. (Philippine Airlines is the oldest operating airline in Asia, established by a group of businessmen led by Andres Soriano in February 1941)

When war spilled into the country in December 1941 and soldiers of the Land of the Rising Sun overran the archipelago, Laurie Nielson, due to his British citizenship, was taken to Hong Kong while his family brought to the University of Sto. Tomas then converted into an internment camp.

Laurie was never seen nor heard from again and his family moved to the United States after the war.

When airport subsequently transferred to a new location in Paranaque in 1948, Ayala y Cia, reborn Ayala Corporation in 1968, developed Makati into the present modern city while Nielson Tower, with its art deco-inspired architecture that resemble an airplane if viewed from above, was saved from demolition, converted into a library called Filipinas Heritage Library in 1996.



In 2001, UNESCO, recognizing the Nielson Tower for the impressive conversion from airport tower to library, renovation and adaptive reuse, conferred to it the prestigious annual UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Award,

The same award was given to Gota de Leche building in 2003 and Far Eastern University campus in 2005.

Nielson Tower still stands in an area known as Ayala Triangle while the airport's two major runways are the present day Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas.


bird's eyeview of Ayala avenue corner Makati avenue taken through dirty glasswindow of my new office with Nielson Tower in view

I happened to organize a seminar for my company, the freelance events organizer that I am, shopped around Makati for a suitable venue to accommodate about a hundred seminar participants and this nearby building came to mind: Filipinas Heritage Library and gave me the chance to take pictures of the structure using my reliable point-and-shoot camera. The seminar turned out success to the enjoyment of the attendees and satisfaction of my various sponsors. Maybe I should change career into events management! :)

Labels: Architecture, History, Makati, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, UNESCO

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is a sprawling complex commissioned by former first lady Imelda Marcos to be the venue of various performing arts and cultural presentations like Ballet Philippines and Miss Universe beauty pageant. There are many buildings and structures of the place. Besides pictures and description a Map of CCP Complex is presented here for your easy reference.

CCP Complex Tour:

The CCP Main building (now called Tanghalang Pambansa)

The Cultural Center of the Philippines main building designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin (who also designed Church of the Holy Sacrifice in UP Diliman and the Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei)

PICC Philippine International Convention Center, the country's premiere international conference building and the historic venue of Tutubi's college graduation :P

PICC

FAT Folk Arts Theater (Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas)
Commissioned by First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1974 as the venue for the Miss Universe Pageant.

Harbour Square a restaurant row

Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant and casino of magnate Stanley Ho of Hong Kong and Macau

Breakwater a romantic place to hang out or watch the sunset

Coconut Palace a house made entirely of coconut ordered constructed by Imeldific Marcos for Pope John Paul II's visit to Manila in 1981 (but the head of the Catholic Church declined the offer). It is now a popular events venue (e.g. weddings, debut parties et al) and home to a museum and a butterfly garden.

Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel (Formerly Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel)

Manila Film Center
the infamous center where bodies of workers who died during construction were never retrieved, and instead buried with concrete, so as not to delay completion of the project on the order of the imeldific one.

It's also the home of the so-called Amazing Philippine Theater (APT) where transexuals, transvestites and transgenders perform every night. (reminds Tutubi of Calypso in Bangkok, Thailand in 2003)

Star City
Dino Island : lifesize dinosaurs come to life
Snow World: experience real snow in tropical Philippines with ice carvings and other freezing temperature. Better bring your own thermal jackets for this one.

Star City Entrance Fee : PhP 60.00
Entrance Fee + 3 Rides : PhP 250.00
Entrance Fee + Ride All You Can : PhP 300.00
Entrance Fee + Ride All You Can + Snow World: PhP 375.00
Entrance Fee + Ride All You Can + Snow World + Dino Island: PhP 475.00

Boom na Boom Amusement Park
Global Gutz Paintball
Sonic Boom RC race track and airsoft field
Boomland Racing Circuit

Wensha Spa
a unique spa and relaxation center where guests are treated to massage and eat all you can buffet food

GSIS
Tutubi, during those times in college, frequents this place to apply and follow up his mother's salary loans. He used to frequently visit the GSIS Museum (where Juan Luna's "Parisian Life" is displayed as well as art pieces from Fernando Amorsolo and other artists)

How to get to CCP Complex:

Commute to CCP complex is fastest via LRT Vito Cruz station (you can take the MRT then transfer to LRT at MRT Taft Avenue station of take LRT 2 and transfer to LRT from LRT 2 Recto station). Walk towards Rizal Memorial Coliseum until you see orange-colored shuttle service plying the CCP-complex route. Alternatively, you may ride jeepneys from Quezon City or Quiapo with signboard Vito Cruz Taft and alight at Taft Avenue corner Pablo Ocampo (You can ride Mabini jeepneys but sometimes it's hard to ride the CCP-bound jeepneys due to no vacant seats)

To give you an idea of landmarks along the route of the CCP shuttle:
Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Century Park Hotel (formerly Sheraton, behind it is Harrison Plaza and SM Harrison), Orchid Garden Suites, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP, nearby is Metropolitan Museum and Central Bank Money Museum), Philippine Navy Headquarters (after crossing Roxas Boulevard), CCP, Harbour Square, Manila Yatch Club, Bay Terminal (Where you take the ferry to Corregidor Island on Sun Cruises), Folk Arts Theater, Jumbo Kingdom, Coconut Palace, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel, Manila Film Center, CCP Open Field, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS, Museum is also there) and Philippine Senate.

Driving Directions:

From Makati by car or taxi, it's best to just drive towards Roxas Boulevard on Gil Puyat Avenue until you see the complex's south boundary (landmarks: Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC or PhilTrade) and World Trade Center, Boom na Boom Amusement Park and Wensha Spa) cross Macapagal Avenue then turn right when you find KFC and Manila Film Center.

From Quezon City or NLEX, an alternate route is via Radial Road, Delpan then Roxas Boulevard until you get to Pablo Ocampo St (formerly Vito Cruz) where you'll see the CCP building on your right.

For foreigners staying in hotels it's best to use the Manila Hop-on bus service dubbed Wow Manila Sakay Na. You can find information and brochures at your hotel lobbies complete with maps, route, and history every visitor to Manila should at least see and experience.

There are available parking at bay terminal and Star city. No information yet on parking fees.

The CCP complex straddles the boundary of the city of Manila and Pasay City.

UPDATED: November 11, 2008

Labels: Architecture, Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Pasay City