TAKE TRADITIONAL TRANSPORT AROUND OUR CAPITAL TO DISCOVER ITS HISTORY. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SKYLIGHT IMAGES
Manila means different things to different people. To some, it’s a concrete jungle of buildings bisected by traffic-laden streets. Others, on the other hand, see it as a wonderland of Asia’s swankiest malls, where movies, shopping and night-life are tied together in a glittering, air-conditioned package.
However, there’s also timeless Manila, with its grand colonial buildings and familiar names. Perhaps you’ve heard about them from the stories of elderly Manileños: a city where history and tradition are hopelessly intertwined. Thankfully, much of it exists to this day, and in many ways, it still forms the soul of our bustling metropolis.
Perhaps the best way to feel the moods of old Manila is to explore it the local way – via public transportation. It may not be the most convenient (or comfortable) way of getting around, but it is certainly an eye-opening look into everyday life in the Philippine capital.
A UNIQUE DOWNTONW - QUIAPO
For an unforgettable first taste of the Manileño lifestyle, jump into the heart of downtown: the Quiapo district. Since the 1900s, this area has been regarded as the haven of the working class, its dusty streets replete with hoi polloi culture and sensibilities. Take the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and alight at Carriedo station.
This is not the touristy downtown visitors might expect. Carriedo Street, you see, is one continuous mass of cheap clothes, toys, hardware, pirated DVDs and pretty much everything else for sale, accompanied by hordes of shouting sellers, haggling buyers and blaring radio speakers. Make your way to the far end of this avenue to Plaza Miranda – with the perennial crowd, it will be a long process, but the endless items on display will provide plenty of diversion.
A HAPPENING PLACE — PLAZA MIRANDA
This spot has been described as a microcosm of Philippine culture, and it’s easy to see why. Sprawled around the centuries-old Quiapo church, Plaza Miranda teems with seemingly incompatible characters and merchandise. Regular vendors do brisk business by the church entrance, sharing space with those selling items of a decidedly mystical nature.
For a few pesos, one can have candles lit to ensure success in business. More potent magic lies at the nearby amulet stalls, where little bronze talismans bearing pseudo-Christian markings are believed to bestow anything from bulletproof skin to irresistible sex appeal.
Not quite what you need? Have your fortune told via tarot cards or crystal ball instead, and just for good luck, get yourself one of those many Santo Niño statues on display. These images of the Child Christ are a favorite religious icon, seen in practically every home in the country.
A REVERED RESIDENT — THE BLACK NAZARENE
For a better glimpse of that deep Filipino religiosity, head inside the church to witness Quiapo’s most revered resident – the Nuestra Padre Jesus Nazareno, or the Black Nazarene.
This dark wooden statue of the suffering Christ was brought from Mexico in the 1700s and has since become the patron of the working class. So strong is the devotion He inspires that this church is often packed with pilgrims bearing rosaries and crucifi xes, and uttering fervent prayers.
Indeed, Quiapo is a heady dose of sensory overload, a hodge-podge of the modern and the traditional; the worldly and the spiritual.
JOSTLING IN A JEEPNEY
From Quiapo’s Quezon Boulevard, hail a jeepney with a placard marked “Taft Avenue”. Don’t waste time looking for designated bus stops – there aren’t any. Simply hop aboard and squeeze into whatever space you can fi nd.
Onboard, you’ll notice some rather peculiar features. There are the kitschy adornments on the dashboard, the designs of which are limited only by the owner’s imagination. Most common are the curtain-like drapes on the side, which make you feel like you’re watching a movie – not the road – in front of you.
Above it are embroidered words that spell anything from your “pilot’s” name, his kids, his favorite movie star, or a “God Bless Our Trip”.
There’s also the statue of the Santo Niño on a tiny altar studded with fl ashing lights. And while you appreciate yet another truly Filipino display of deep religiosity, note that somewhere above you is plastered a poster of today’s hottest starlet, torn from the pages of FHM.
Believe it or not, the jeepney hails all the way back to after WWII, when Filipinos fi rst converted surplus US Army jeeps into public transportation machines. Taking cues from the designs of old carriages, they extended the rear to accommodate more passengers, then painted them in bright colors and added little chrome horses on the hood – a nod to the horsepower of bygone years.
Don’t forget to look out from time to time – you’ll know you’ve reached Luneta Park, your next stop, when you see those well-manicured grounds by the side of the road (but better ask your travel mates, just to be sure).
To signal the jeep to stop, either knock on the ceiling with your knuckles, say “psssssst!”, call out “sa tabi lang po” (which means “drop me off by the sidewalk, please”), or – as a last resort – shout “para mama!” (which means “stop man!”). Pay the PHP7.50 fare (US$0.15) before you leave.
IN THE LUNGS OF MANILA — LUNETA
Now you’re in Luneta, a 58-hectare park that stands as one of the few swaths of city greenery, the so-called “lungs of Manila”. Despite being overshadowed by the arrival of malls, these promenade grounds are the hangout of choice for those wanting free outdoor entertainment.
Saunter west from Taft Avenue, past the huge topographic map of the Philippines and the numerous statues of national heroes. This is a good place to watch the Manileños at play: the tended lawns host family picnics, kite-fl yers and lovers of all ages. You might even bump into practitioners of Arnis de Mano, the ancient martial art of stick-fi ghting (do stop for an impromptu lesson in self-defense).
A HOME FOR HISTORY — NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE
Not far from here lies the National Museum of the Filipino People, which packs in a grand, fi ve-storey marble building, a comprehensive view of the cultures and peoples of these islands.
The museum is an interesting crash course in the ethnology of the Philippines. Its interactive exhibits range from dioramas of prehistoric burial caves, to recreations of time-honored fi esta scenes, to displays of stunning treasures from the San Diego – a Spanish galleon that sank off the coast of Batangas, to the south of Manila.
Spend a moment of silence as you pass by the monument to National Hero Jose Rizal – a doctor, writer and patriot who was executed in 1896 by the Spaniards on this site.
A GREAT GALLOP — HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES
Centuries ago, they were the preferred mode of travel. Today, these horse-drawn carriages by the roadside remain an equally viable – if less popular – transport to nearby areas. They’re our well-loved calesas: antique vehicles that have survived since colonial times. Negotiate fares before you climb in: the price from Luneta Park to Intramuros can range from PHP50 to 150 (US$0.99 to $2.97), depending on your haggling skills and the mood of the driver.
That being settled, it doesn’t take long after you’ve hopped aboard to realize that it’s not at all a bad deal. As you clip-clop your way to the end of Roxas Boulevard, past the stately façade of the Manila Hotel, feel a tinge of nostalgia for the laid-back lifestyle of centuries past.
A CAPITAL CITY — INTRAMUROS
This feeling intensifi es as you pass Intramuros’ stone walls. Back in the days of España, this was the capital itself – a fortifi ed city that housed the colonial government and its elite.
Old Manila’s genteel charm is seen at its fullest behind these walls. Ask the kutsero (the calesa driver) to drop you off at General Luna street, which is bordered by two of Intramuros’ must-see landmarks.
Casa Manila on one side is a fully-restored mansion that showcases turn-of-the-century Filipino-Spanish lifestyle and architecture, its exquisite hardwood furniture and capiz shell windows evoking visions of an illustrious past.
Just across this casa lies the imposing San Agustin Church, which features a Baroque façade with an entrance guarded by (of all things) Chinese fu dogs. Step in and marvel at the exquisite adornments within, most notable of which are the life-like sculptures of saints, and an incredibly detailed ceiling – those aren’t carvings, mind you, but paintings made to look like carvings!
Should this overwhelming display leave you wanting more, check out the equally impressive artwork at the adjoining monastery-museum.
A VARIETY OF JOYRIDES
There are plenty of other things to see in Intramuros. Hire a pedicab to experience the ultimate in native rides (well, sort of). These dirt-cheap, three-wheeled bicycle-sidecar combos come complete with a roof and a smiling driver, and can whisk you around town at a jogger’s pace, taking you past timeless monuments like the majestic Manila Cathedral with its massive dome and belfry, or the grand, imposing Baluarte de San Diego where cannons still stand guard.
As an alternative, you can also take a calesa for an evening joyride, the clicking horseshoes, ancient buildings and dim glow of streetlamps bringing you back to an era long gone. Indeed, no tour bus can provide an experience quite like this. For every visitor, any one of these joyrides provides an unforgettable experience.
Seeing Manila on its humblest wheels is more than just a novel way to sightsee – it’s an encounter that brings you up close and personal with this incredibly vibrant city, its history – and most of all, its people.
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