Manila Cathedral

February 14, 2011

Its official name is Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica but most people informally call it as the Manila Cathedral.  This is one my favorite churches in the city because of its elegant design and European architecture. Inside the Basilica you will find a number of, what I call, mini museums featuring old photographs of the church, its history, memorabilia, and a lot more.

Although I do not consider myself a very religious person, this is a place I frequent when I want to think and pray. It’s a very quiet place, the lighting system is a bit dim, and very few people are attending the mass in the morning so its really perfect for short prayers and to just think about what is happening in my life.

There is a dress code. So, if you are planning of visiting the Cathedral, you will have to be properly dressed up. No slippers for both men and women. For women, mini skirt, sleeveless blouses, shorts, tube and halter tops are not allowed. On the other hand, men should not wear shorts, jerseys, sandos, caps and shades.

The photos in this post were taken by my sister last week. We walked the streets of the Walled City while eating chips and drinking canned soft drinks :-) The weather was a bit gloomy so perfect timing to walk and take lots of pictures of my super kulit pamangkin hehe.

Filed Under: Just another ordinary day in Manila, Manila's Hot Spot

Restoration of Manila High School

February 4, 2011

Four years of my life was spent at Manila High School, the very first public secondary school in the Philippines. The Spanish authorities established it in 1892 under the name of Escuela Municipal de Manila. However in 1906, the Americans renamed it to Manila High School and they temporarily used it as a hospital during the Filipino-American War. Today, my beloved alma mater is being restored and was declared as a historical site by the Philippine Government.

In my journalism class, our teacher told us that the first Editor-in-Chief of Ang Binhi, our official school paper, was Carlos P. Romulo. But during Gen. Romulo’s time, the school paper’s name was “The Coconut.” It made me proud because the man is one of the most admired personalities in Philippine history. Below is a short story about him which I got from Wiki:

During the selection of the UN’s official seal, he looked over the seal-to-be and asked, “Where is the Philippines?” US Senator Warren Austin, head of the selection committee, explained, “It’s too small to include. If we put the Philippines, it would be no more than a dot.” “I want that dot!” insisted Romulo. Today, a tiny dot between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea can be found on the UN seal

You probably know the rest of the story. He became the first Asian general assembly president of the United Nations. Isn’t he super amazing? He is! So anyway, it’s such an honor just to know that we are from the same school ;) Other notable alumni of MHS are Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, Jose P. Laurel and individuals who became successful in their chosen fields.

During my senior year at MHS, my classmate told me that just one more strong earthquake and the building where we were holding our classes will definitely collapse. The cracks on the walls of our classrooms and the damaged ceilings of the corridors were a solid evidence that the structure needed a major restoration. That is why I felt gladness when I learned that MHS is currently being restored not only for beautification purposes but for the safety of students and teachers as well. The local government should really allocate more budget for education. Easy for me to say eh?

The thing which I liked most about the restoration is that the new buildings look modern but the Spanish-style architecture has been preserved. This can be seen through the roofings made of tisa or bricks. I heard this is one of the requirements of the Intramuros Administration (IA), to maintain a classic design for the structures inside the Walled City. So lovely!
Filed Under: Filipino personalities, Manila's Hot Spot

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