Tag: Manila

Flying for the First Time? Here’s a Complete Philippine Airport Guide!

Janis December 6, 2018 0 Comments
If you're flying out of the country from any international airport for the first time, this post is for you! I prepared a Philippine airport guide to help you have a hassle-free experience and a more memorable vacation. :) Before you head to the airport, make sure you have everything ready: your passport, foreign currency, credit cards, travel documents, and IDs are all in one place....

Discover Quiapo’s History and Culture with This Community-Created App & Map

Janis November 8, 2018 0 Comments
Sometimes we forget how beautiful Quiapo is — home to the San Sebastian Basilica, Quiapo Church, Golden Mosque, and Ocampo Pagoda, all important landmarks that represent a significant part of the history of the neighborhood, and even the whole of Metro Manila. San Sebastian Basilica, the only steel church in AsiaThe newly launched iDiscover Quiapo App & Map helps locals and tourists...

Rediscovering the Ever Loyal and Noble City of Manila

Janis April 17, 2017 16 Comments
Yesterday, my friend Vin and I went on a photowalk in Manila to have what we like to call a "secular Visita Iglesia." It's like the Catholic tradition of visiting seven churches during Lent, only we visit places of historic importance. We started the day with a late breakfast at McDonald's UN Avenue in Ermita. From there, we walked to Kalaw Street, where we found the first Protestant...

#ManilennialEats: 12 Delicious Finds at SM City Manila

Janis January 17, 2017 0 Comments
If you're looking for somewhere to have a good time with your family and friends this week, head on to SM City Manila! Whether you want to treat your family to a sumptuous dinner or take a break from your hectic schedule with your comfort food, you'll find the best in casual dining here. Last month, we joined a blogger's food crawl with other food and lifestyle bloggers from across the...

The MET Comes Alive with the NORDLYS / P-NOiSE Contemporary Performance

Janis December 20, 2016 4 Comments
Last Saturday, my friend Vin asked me to watch a performance at the Manila Metropolitan Theater, or what is more popularly known as the Met. I was beside myself with delight when I heard that there was going to be a performance at the Met. Never mind that I'm not really a fan of modern dance or performance art; it was THE Met! It's part of my favorite spots in Manila, and I know that this...

Why Philippines

Janis October 6, 2016 2 Comments
I think we can all agree that 2016 is the worst year of the decade yet. In the Philippines, we just had ten stressful months where friendships and loyalties were tested. Conversations on social media felt a lot like a GE class where you had to listen to petty arguments by your know-it-all classmate, and watch your more intelligent peers fail to get through to him. (It still feels that...

Celebrating Independence Day

Janis June 14, 2016 0 Comments
I am a person who deeply values tradition and rituals. Every year, I celebrate Independence Day by taking a walk in Intramuros or Ermita. This year, I took a break from that tradition to spend time with my family and celebrate Father's Day a week early. Bantayog ng mga Bayani Together with my family, I started the day with a quick trip to Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City. We joined...

5 Places to Visit with Your Mom on a Weekend

Janis May 21, 2016 0 Comments
Mother's Day has come and gone, but that shouldn't stop us from having a good time with the best woman in our life. Here are five places in Luzon where we can spend quality time with our moms without spending too much. Malate There are many bars in Malate, but I doubt it's the kind of place we'd want to visit with our mom, if ever. When my mom and I spent an afternoon here, we heard Mass...

Downtown Manila – Escolta

Janis March 21, 2016 1 Comment
This is the first of a three-part series on the places in Manila your mother warned you about. "Downtown Manila" used to be the old cultural and commercial center of the capital. Roughly, it includes some parts of Quiapo, Carriedo, and Sta. Cruz. In the '60s and the '70s, the best restaurants, movie houses, and shops were found in these districts on the right bank of the Pasig River. Then...

My 5 favorite spots in Metro Manila

Janis August 9, 2014 1 Comment
Carlos Celdran said in his TED talk that if you can’t find beauty in Metro Manila, you won’t find beauty anywhere else. Having lived all my life in this chaotic third-world jungle, I would say it required a lot of effort to discover the beauty in this place. Beautiful Manila? Fifty years ago, our parents enjoyed a decent lifestyle in which they can watch vaudevilles and zarsuelas,...