• Makati

    Beyond the CBD: Makati’s Century City

    Normally when one thinks of Makati, the mental image would pertain to the Central Business District area which happens to be the most well-known part of Makati. But that does not say it is the only part of Makati that is fully developed in an urban sense. In recent years, other parts of Makati are undergoing their own urban transformations as development in the city is moving beyond the CBD area. One such neighborhood is the Poblacion-Bel-Air area north of the CBD. While it was originally, and still is, for the most part, conceived and developed as a sort-of suburban residential community, over the years, significant developments have been sprouting around…

  • Makati,  Special Feature

    Mabini150: The Dekalogo Exhibit

    If you have been to Ayala Triangle recently, you may have seen this photo exhibit at the middle of the park which has something to do with Apolinario Mabini and the commemoration of his upcoming 150th birthday. This exhibit is called “Dekalogo” and it is not just any photo exhibit about Mabini, this is an exhibit that has brought to life one of his well-known writings, The True Decalogue. The True Decalogue was first printed on June 24, 1898, 12 days after the declaration of Philippine Independence. Mabini at that time served as an adviser to Aguinaldo’s revolutionary government, which at that time was busy laying out the foundations of the new…

  • Makati

    A Farewell To Mandarin Oriental

    Truth be told, this has been originally an entry long overdue of a write-up on this site since last year. For some reason, I never got around it for that long. While I have now gotten around doing this entry, I feel bad that I am writing about this storied hotel in the most unfortunate of circumstances as the news broke out recently that Mandarin Oriental is closing down its operations later this year. This puts an end to the hotel’s 38 years or so of operation in the city that began with the opening of its iconic hotel building in 1976, housed in a uniquely-designed concrete edifice courtesy of no less…

  • Makati

    A Rooftop Food Trip

    Of the things you can do at a building rooftop…come to think of it, there’s not much you can do at a building rooftop unless you put something there. Which is probably the thinking the folks of Mercato Centrale and Ayala Center had when they decided to put a weekly food market at the rooftop of a carpark building there. With that, the rooftop of The Link carpark building has become the new home of Cucina Andare, the food night market of Makati conceptualized by the same folks behind Mercato Centrale et al.