Manila, Manila, I Keep Coming Back to Manila…
I recently discovered this video from a friend of mine. It’s an old footage of Metro Manila way back in 1938 that has been digitized and uploaded online. The title of the footage is “Manila, Queen of the Pacific” and upon seeing this, it’s really like traveling back in time and seeing a familiar place from a very different point of view.
It’s almost tempting to wish for the return of the glory days of Manila. However, Manila has indeed come a long way, and regardless of the many challenges it is facing in the present, the lyrics of that famous song will continue to ring in the hearts of Pinoys – “Manila, Manila, I keep coming back to Manila…”If there is one guy who truly believes that, it’s probably Mr. Carlos Celdran. He’s an artist and a tour guide whose walking tours have appeared in Time Magazine Asia, Wallpaper and Discovery Channel’s Lonely Planet. He is a man who is trying to change the way people look at Manila through his blog (http://www.carlosceldran.com) and he’s been featured as an expert in Yahoo! Answers before.
Carlos asked the community once what they think best symbolizes Manila and Charles gave the best answer for this – the Watch Tower at Manila City Hall and the colorful Calesa (horse-drawn carriages). True enough, both have been around long enough to symbolize the uniqueness and enduring qualities of Manila. In another question, he asked if you had a foreign friend visiting Manila, where would you take this person? Bopols shared an in-depth itinerary, beginning with historical and cultural landmarks in the city (Luneta, CCP, malls, etc.) and then a drive to towns nearby Manila with tourist spots (Tagaytay, Laguna, Rizal, etc.). Carlos also had this question – what does Manila need to make it more tourist friendly? Papabol’s reply is both realistic and creative: more clean washrooms, sidewalks, free up-to-date maps and transportation guides, trustworthy money changers, clean restaurants, clean and safe hotels, especially for those tourists on a tight budget, and free tourists assistance centers. Finally, Carlos asked the community “What makes Manila a great city? And how can we improve it further?” and Mac M shared the best answer – the history and the trees, respectively. The first because of our rich and diverse background and the second because we definitely need more greenery in our beloved city.
Manila is indeed a unique and special place and it’s will always be one of the various places that best represents the Philippines and Pinoys as well. After all, as the song goes, there’s “simply no place like Manila, Manila I’m coming home.” And we all know that there’s no place like home.
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It is a very inspiring trip back to the glorious days of our beloved Philippines. Hope more of this sort be available on this site.Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!!!
Just viewed the video and it really moved me. How I envied these old Filipinos driving or just merely walking on the sooo peaceful and unpolluted streets of Manila. They’re seemed to be trimmed and well-mannered, neatly dressed on the contrast of today’s modern people…Wish to bring back the time…
Wonderul! I would like to know more of the history and culture of the Philippines. This was a gift. Thanks. If I go to the Philippines in Jan-March, where should I visit to both learn about the country and to enjoy both city and resort (seaside) life? Is this a good season to visit. Oh, I want to meet a beautiful Philippina lady too. Being a widower, I always have to keep that on my agenda and Philippina women seem absolutely wonderful
@Francis Tubbali – Thanks for comment Francis! Feel free to share it to other kababayans. I’ll do my best to blog about the best of being Pinoy.
Mabuhay ang Pilipino!
@Liza D – I felt the same when I saw the video Liza. It’s really a shame we were not able to maintain the glory days, but let’s not lose hope on the future. We can still do our part to make our country a better place.
@Sir Don – Hello Sir Don, I’m glad you enjoyed that glimpse of Manila’s past. If you’re planning a trip to the Philippines, may I suggest checking out Yahoo! Answers for some tips on where to go and how to get there. You may start with this link – http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjDZhKwgGQoaKKnIMSH1F5aJSAx.;_ylv=3?qid=20071126163031AAqrykH, the best answer provides a great itinerary for tourists to our country. Of course, feel free to post a question as well in Answers so you can personally benefit from the Pinoy community. I hope you have an enjoyable trip next year!
[...] discovered this video from Yahoo Philippines Answers Blog. It’s an old footage of Metro Manila way back in 1938 that has been digitized and uploaded [...]
Its really good to go back home and about the historical i really inspired.