October marks the anniversary of the Philippine television industry which first made its mark in 1953. As its own to commemorate the milestones of the Philippine media, (broadcast media in particular) this blog will dedicate this month writing some interesting tidbits and places in broadcast history, past and present. Long considered as titans in the print media industry with their ownership of Manila Times and the Liwayway Group of Publications to name a few, the Roces family found themselves getting involved in the booming broadcast industry in 1960, thanks to the license given to them by Philippine Congress. Thus, on June 19 of that year, Joaquin “Chino” Roces founded the…
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that brewery named after a saint and a suburb
It was September 29, 1890, which happened to be the feast of St. Michael and the rest of the Archangels, when a fellow named Enrique Barretto y Ycaza opened up a brewery in the Manila suburb named after the aforementioned saint. With a royal grant from Spain, Enrique decided to name the brewery after that suburb where he has lived and worked. So began the history of Fabrica Cerveza de San Miguel, the brewery which would become the San Miguel Corporation we would know today. The document which bore that royal grant had the old seal of Manila insigned with a crown above it. Seeing the significance of this seal,…
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Christmas in the city: the Christmas spectacle at Policarpio St.
As part of this year’s Christmas in the city 2009 series, the Urban Roamer takes you to one of the most famous streets in the metropolis during this season. Located within the vicinity of Barangay New Zaniga in Mandaluyong City, is a street known as F. Policarpio. I have yet to find out who exactly is F. Policarpio but I can surmise he’s some Mandaluyong politician or some prominent figure there. While it looks just like any other middle-class neighboorhood typical here in the metropolis, this neighborhood shows a different face every Yuletide season. A face some may find too flamboyant or extravagant. But hey, it’s the Christmas season…
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in memoriam: SM Megamall’s Ice Skating Rink
To be honest, I was not surprised to see it coming as the rumors have been circulating its impending demise for a long time. Then again, I was also hoping these rumors would remain as they are: just rumors that are to be taken with a grain of salt. So when I visited SM Megamall earlier this week, I was surprised to see this: To think that the place was still there 2 weeks ago when I last came here, that was quick.