21 December 2022
I had read somewhere how a traveller to Manila had described the place, comparing it to a halo-halo, a local snack made out of a mind-boggling concoction of condensed milk and shaved ice topped with sweet beans and purple ice cream. The bizarre combination of flavours doesn’t appear to make sense at first, but, somehow, it works... that was exactly my impression after a few days spent in this sprawling metropolis, chaotic and dirty but also spiritual and gorgeous, all at the same time.
The ride to our hotel was educational. Our taxi immediately drove into a solid 4-lane traffic jam as we left the airport arrivals building. The car inched along, an ancient jeepney in front, the Virgin Mary smiling from the back door, fumes slowly shrouding her; beside us, an even older-looking tricycle (a Second World War-style motorbike with sidecar), one of many moving in line like some giant ants. I peered out at some squatters on waste ground below the flyover, living in an improvised home made of hoardings and sackcloth canopies; barefoot children were napping on mattresses which had seen better days under the watchful eye of their shrunken grandmother. “Beggars”, I was told, “it’s best to just ignore them”.
Contrast that scene with Makati, the central business district and our destination. A different world, of towering, glass skyscrapers, pristine parks, luxurious malls (Greenbelt, Rockwell Centre), underpasses with escalators and opulent hotels (not ours). We could have been in any Western capital here, until a passing jeepney reminded us that we were actually in Manila, the world’s most densely populated city.
Our time here was very limited and so to make the most of it, we decided to hire a cab for half a day (at a cost of $60 USD) to take us around the key sights, especially from an historical perspective.
What better symbol of the past than the Intramuros, one of Manila’s most notable Spanish settlements (built after the Spanish conquistadors sailed in to Manila in 1521) and the capital of their colony. The walls were constructed to fortify the area’s defence, particularly against foreign invaders from the nearby vulnerable Manila Bay. It has had a long history of attempts of invasion and natural disasters and today, it stands as a symbol of Manila’s troubled colonial past.
One of the many defence structures within the Intramuros fortress is Fort Santiago. Here, the national hero, Jose Rizal, was imprisoned before his trial and execution in Bagumbayan, a nearby park which today nears his name (like countless other streets statues, schools and buildings all over the country). An interesting exhibition there recounts his trial and last days before his death.
A short ride away is the Cathedral of Manila, originating from the 16th century but rebuilt countless times since due to natural and other disasters, a monument to the resilience of the Filipino people. Just beside is the Church of San Augustin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in 1587, and having survived countless disasters like the Cathedral across the road, it possesses beautiful symmetry and is adorned with lavish interiors; a jewel of the Spanish golden era. As we arrived there, a wedding had just started and the church was filled with Bach’s majestic Air; a wonderful setting for the ceremony. It is easy to see why it is often regarded as the most beautiful building in the Philippines.
Our next stop was at the National Museum of Fine Arts, a building with a colourful history and previously used as a legislative assembly. It offers works of art in 29 galleries over 4 floors and what I found fascinating was that Filipino stories seemed to be woven into the fabric of every piece of art I found there. It seemed like a history lesson, with these artists reaching out through the canvas to tell us of their experiences, their points of view, and the Philippines and the world they encountered during their time. The most famous piece is no doubt Juan Luna's "Spoliarium," but there were many other very interesting paintings and sculptures too. All this with free entrance..
We had also wanted to visit the nearby Museums of Natural History and Anthropology but the clock on our taxi was up and so we left these for another time. We did however find the time the next day before flying back to Palawan to visit the Ayala Museum, just down the road from our hotel on Makati Avenue.
A private Museum, and therefore charging an entrance fee, Ayala comprises 4 floors of galleries. The highlights were an amazing display of pre-Hispanic gold jewellery and artefacts on the 4th floor and the 60 dioramas on the 2nd floor which depict the complete history of the Philippines from the early cavemen to the present day through the painstakingly crafted models and settings displayed there.
So how can one sum up Manila? Everyone has an opinion, some call it the ‘Gates of Hell’, others, the ‘Pearl of the Orient’. Clearly, it is an urban sprawl of wild contrasts, sleek new skyscrapers co-existing alongside the grinding poverty of its shanty towns, while gleaming malls presage Manila’s brave new air-conditioned world. The congested roads snarl with traffic, while, somehow, managing to keep this modern metropolis alive. No stranger to hardship, the city has endured every disaster humans and nature could throw at it, and yet today, it is not only still here but even thriving as a true Asian megacity.
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