Manila Daily Photo

another chinese new year pic

Ok...ok...I know what your thinking...this is the third consecutive post about the chinese new year...I know you must be getting tired of it but spare me one last post. This is the last of it I promise!!

Chinese as you know has a very rich in culture. They rely so much on crystals and lucky charms to give them good luck. The new year is not spared of course, actually I think it's one of the busiest season for the feng shui masters, astrology gurus, and entrepreneurs selling good luck charms and crystals. More people wanting to have good luck in the new year means more business for them.

Check out the buddhas on this photo...

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another dragon photo

Almost all Filipinos have at least one drop of Chinese blood running through their veins. They are one of the very first settlers here in the Philippines and until now there are largest minority groups, making up about 2% (1.5 million) of the country's total population. Even our national here Jose Rizal is a chinese from the Cua clan of Fujian of China!
Since it's still technically new year for them...I thought I'd post another dragon photo, this time, a display at Festival Mall, one of the biggest mall in the southern part of Manila. This one is as eleborate as the one I posted below but more colorful.
Again Kung Hei Fat Choi!

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Kung Hei Fat Choi!

This is a photo of a dragon dance, done every chinese new year in places where chinese abound...mainly china town and big chinese business areas. Since most big businesses here are owned by chinese, you can practically see dragon dance being held anywhere, even malls. Was driving yesterday near Paco and chanced upon this one going around the street...so I stopped for a photo.

Today is their big day so naturally...here comes the greeting...

Wishing you all a big WOOF this year of the dog!

FYI...Kung Hei Fat Choi is how chinese greet each other this new year. It's pronounced Kiong Hee Huat Tsai.

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Manila bay artefact

I was at Manila Bay last Saturday and saw this artefact as I was walking...thought it was interesting and took a photo of it.
In the background you'll see people swarming around, this place...Manila Bay, is actually a whole stretch of open dining area. Various restaurants line the bay, offering not only food but entertainment as well.
I'd share with you more pics some other time :)

Related photos:
Navigating
Stone lamps
Want a drink?

Or you can click at "Manila Bay" on the categories to your right for photos of Manila Bay.

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dining outside

Filipinos love to dine outside! The climate is perfect for dining out...specially during early mornings and in the evenings. This photo is taken early Saturday morning...the sun is just starting to shine...perfect time to enjoy breakfast with friends!

Related Photos: Manila Bay Dining

Or you can click at "Dining Places" on the categories to your right for more photos of dining places in Manila.

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waiting for a ride?

Filipinos had been very enterprising when it comes to ads in the past years. Major thoroughfares are now dotted by gigantic billboards of various products and services, now even waiting sheds are not spared. Shown here is a picture of a McDonalds ad on a waiting shed in Makati. The sign reads, delicious breakfast...now served throughout the day, ad for their newest burger variety, the Longganisa burger. Longganisa is a kind of processed meat which is a favorite Filipino breakfast.

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SM Megamall

SM Megamall, the name speaks for itself... this is the biggest mall in the Philippines! Floor area of 331,679 square meters...this structure sits at the corner of EDSA and Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Business District, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila. Aside from shopping, here you can also have a haircut, a manicure, a massage, and do a hundred other things. You may even go for a spin on an ice skating rink. There is a wide variety of cafes, bars, restaurants and food stalls, plus 10 cinemas. This place is undeniably a shopper's haven!

Oops and just in case you are wondering what SM stands for, it is short for Shoe Mart, the name of the hole-in-the-wall shoe store which the mammoth SM enterprise sprung from.

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arc of the century

This photo is related to the photo I posted yesterday. Any visitor or new student who enters the Espana main pedestrians' gate is immediately drawn to the Arch of the Centuries, right in front, about fifteen meters away. Classical Greek and Roman in inspiration with its Doric fluted columns, but baroque in its wealth of curving and embossed details, it looks like one of those triumphal arches for victorious Athenian athletes or returning Roman generals that are seen in history books. The medallion arch is usually a memorial for all distinguished Thomasians. The inscription says, "Gateway to the history of the finest breed of Filipinos". On the lower facade of the pillar, a commemorative plaque honors Jose Rizal, national hero and UST alumnus, and another plaque, Manuel L. Quezon, President of the Philippine Commonwealth, also a UST graduate. On the sides of the rectangular top of the arch are panels depicting some milestones in the life of St. Thomas Aquinas. Above all these, sits the serene, regal image of this angelic doctor, scholastic philosopher and theologian, patron of the University and of all Catholic schools.

The side of the arch facing the campus was the main doorway to the university building before it was destroyed by World War II. The stones of that doorway, now rough-hewned and eroded, were transferred and reassembled piece by piece in its present site. The side with its Grecian design facing Espana Street is a reconstruction of the doorway as it originally looked.

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University of Sto. Tomas

The University of Sto. Tomas, this is my Alma Mater. The oldest existing university in Asia and in terms of student population, the largest Catholic university in the world located in one campus. Just a bit of history...It was founded on April 28, 1611 by the third Archbishop of Manila, Msgr. Miguel de Benavides, O.P., together with Frs. Domingo de Nieva and Bernardo de Santa Catalina. It was originally intended as a school to prepare young men for the priesthood. Located within Intramuros, the Walled City, it was first called Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario and later renamed Colegio de Santo Tomas in memory of the foremost Dominican Theologian, Saint Thomas Aquinas.

In 1624, the Colegio was authorized to confer academic degrees in Theology, Philosophy and Arts. On November 20, 1645 Pope Innocent X elevated the College to the rank of a university and in 1680, it was subsequently placed under royal patronage. In 1785, for the exceptional loyalty shown by the administration and students who volunteered to defend Manila against the British invasion, King Charles III granted it the title of "Royal University". Pope Leo XIII made the University of Santo Tomas a "Pontifical University" on September 17, 1902 and in 1974, Pope Pius XII bestowed upon it the title of "The Catholic University of the Philippines".

In 1927, with the continuing increase in enrollment, the University moved from Intramuros to its present site which covers an area of 21.5 hectares in the district of Sampaloc, Manila. Since its foundation, the University's academic life has been interrupted only twice: 1898 to 1899, during the Philippine revolution against Spain; and 1942 to 1945, during the Japanese occupation of Manila, when the University of Santo Tomas was transformed by the Japanese Forces into a concentration camp.

In recognition of the noble achievements of this institution, a number of important dignitaries have officially visited the University, among them, during the last three decades: His Holiness Pope Paul VI on November 28, 1970; His Royal Highness, Prince Juan Carlos, now King Juan Carlos I of Spain in 1974 and 1995; Mother Teresa of Calcutta in January 1977 and again in November 1984; Pope John Paul II on February 18, 1981 and January 13, 1995; Pres. Eduardo Frei of Chile on November 21, 1995; and Pres. Jose Maria Aznar of Spain on July 1, 2000.

Trully a magnificent University, rich in history, beautiful in structure. A place I called home for four years...a place I would always be pround of. I'm proud to be a THOMASIAN!

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Manny Pacquiao beats down Eric Morales

Sorry I just have to post a second picture.

Wooohooo!! Manny Pacquiao won over Eric Morales!! Woohooo!! Seen on this pic is Manny on the right side.

Congratulations Manny Pacquiao! Mabuhay ang Pilipino!!

Photo and story from ABC News: read on http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=1530358

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native stores of Quiapo

A handicrafts store found under the Quiapo bridge. These stores sells everything made of abaca, capiz, wood and other native stuff. Shown here are hanging lamps made of capiz. Prices here are usually low compared to malls and department stores and you can usually haggle with the prices. But watch out foreigners, prices are usually higher (more than double!) for you!

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sunset at Boracay

Ahhh...Boracay! This is one of the prime tourist attraction here in the Philippines. It's not in Manila, if you would look at the map to your right, its one of those little islands in the middle part of the country. It boasts of stretch and stretch of beautiful white beach...beautiful blue waters surrounded by one of a kind coral reefs. But aside from these, I'd say what I love most about it is its beautiful rendition of the sunset...spectacular, never failed to take my breath away.

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is that a bookstore?

I took this picture from a window display of Powerbooks, a local bookstore. I thought its just strange to see something like this outside a bookstore, but whatever the reason is, I think it is working as it really catches attention. Just hope it catches the attention of book lovers too!

p.s. sorry for the reflection, it's because of the glass

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Ninoy Aquino

Shown here is a statue of Ninoy Aquino at the corner of Ayala Ave. and Paseo de Roxas in Makati. He is a Filipino activist who was killed while he was going down the airplane that brought him home to the Philippines from the US, where he went on exile after controversies against the government forced him to go out of the country to save his life. Ironically, when he thought everything was clear, he came back...but even before he set foot on Philippine soil, two gun shots were heard, and shortly after, he was found dead, slumped on the very soil he fought for.

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Sto. Nino fiesta

Last weekend, the Philippines celebrated the fiesta of Sto. Nino in honor of the child Jesus.. Celebrations were held throughout the Philippines including Manila, Cebu and Aklan. In Manila, parades began early and continue throughout the day. To start them off, school children fill the streets followed by groups of dancers performing traditional dance steps passed down from the first people of this area. Many floats and participants boasting various themes of Jesus as a child follow. Everyone and anyone is invited to join on the festivities.

Apart from the street dancing, another very commonly seen during fiestas are the "banderitas" or little flags, hung across the street. Various colourful paper are strung on nylon cords and then hung across the street to give an extra burst of color and excitement. Shown here are the banderitas in an area called Paco, a quaint place right in the middle of Manila.

If you happen to visit Manila anytime soon, it's always a good idea to visit places celebrating their fiestas as aside from the banderitas and the streetdancing, food is always great! Mmmm yumm!!

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the famous Manila jeepney

Filipinos are known worldwide for their ability to improvise on and reproduce first-world technology into forms more attainable given limited financial resources. An example of this ability is the Philippine jeepney. The army jeeps left by the United States after the Second World War inspired the making of these vehicles. Artworks of painstaking detail are often seen on the shining chrome bodies of these vehicles, which, as earlier said, are copies of army jeeps, resized and remodeled to accommodate commuting passengers numbering from 20 to 30 all in all.

The unique thing about jeepneys is that no jeepney is exactly the same as another. Each jeepney is a testament to the artistic ability of the designer assigned to it. Work on the vehicle itself sometimes takes much shorter than work on the design and decorations on the vehicle, as the former has become almost mechanical, but the latter requires repetitive planning, and sometimes, mistakes can put back the designing effort by 1 or 2 weeks behind. It is a matter of pride for a jeepney designer to come up with a jeepney pleasing to the eye, and with an interior design that is both beautiful and not an impediment to function.

Payment while on a jeepney is on an honesty basis, with the jeepney driver just hoping that everyone who goes on his vehicle will pay the required amount for the distance traveled. Apart from the occasional companion while driving, the jeepney driver has little way of knowing who among his passengers has not paid. Sometimes, designers therefore put on signs to stoke the conscience of passengers, or to admonish passengers who fail to pay, with lines like "God knows Judas not pay".

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Ayala Avenue on a Saturday morning

This is Ayala Ave., the main business/financial hub of Manila. Most of the top corporations' and bank's offices are located here. It's usually packed with cars, buses and jeepneys on an ordinary weekday, but it's a ghost town on weekends. I don't even remember seeing the road pavement on weekdays!

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friday afternoon shopping...window shopping that is

Greenbelt 4...one of the upscale shopping strip in Manila. Stores such as Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, DKNY or Burberry holds home here. Notice the small guy in white, close to the car? Not the one with the backpack but the one near the car, he is the small white dot in the pic hehehe. He is actually a butler/doorman, who opens car doors as they stop by to drop off the richies hehehe. Your asking me if I shop here? The only time I go inside is when I have to use their bathroom hahaha!

So sorry for posting this late...was out with my hubby today, bought some groceries and took some pics of Ayala Ave. for my post tomorrow. We also scouted for computers as we want to get a new one, saw some HPs which are a pretty good deal. Hopefully we'd be able to buy by next week (fingers crossed!).

Ok gotta go now! Goodnight!!

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Dolphins in the middle of the city

Took this shot while having lunch today. This is in front of Ayala Center in Makati, Philippines' central business district. It's a small park where small events such as concerts and product launches are usually held. This place is exceptionally beautiful at night against the night lights and lights from the towering condominiums at the back side.

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manila...manila...I keep coming back to manila!

HELLOOO WORLD!! Welcome to my very first post. This blog is inspired by this site: Paris Daily Photo. In an attempt to show the world the true beauty and culture of the Philippines, I would try to post one picture of Manila a day.

As a start, I'd like to show a picture of San Agustin Church in Intramuros, famed as the oldest church in the Philippines,completed in 1606. San Agustin is the only church in Manila which has resisted all earthquakes and the bombings of World War II. It has lived up to the motto "Firmiter Aedificata" (strongly built), given to it in early times.

The photo above is actually not mine, this photo is courtesy of Kix Tavora who was one of my wedding photographers, this shot taken Sept. 17, 2005. Related photos:
St. Paul's Cathedral, Vigan
Shrine of Jesus
Manila Cathedral

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What is the Daily Photo Blog Family?

This is a collection of men and women bounded with the purpose of sharing one photo of their city everyday. The idea of Eric Tenin from Paris of posting one photo everyday of his city, has already spread to the different parts of the globe...Europe, USA, Asia and Australia.

If you share the same passion in sharing a piece of your city everyday to the whole world...please join us and start a DailyPhoto blog for the city where you live. If you start a DailyPhoto blog or you already have a city photo blog, please do not hesitate to let me know so we can add you to our family.

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