Of all the commemorations being celebrated every February, perhaps the most overlooked is one that commemorates the Battle of Manila of 1945. Which is quite unfortunate considering how this sad and bloody chapter in the history of Manila transformed the city and the country on a macro perspective, causing destruction to so many cultural treasures in the city and death to more than 100,000 souls. On one hand, the horror of this event may have been a factor as to why many choose to, understandably, forget what happened. On the other hand, this preference to forget is seen as the cause as to why Manila today has lost its soul in…
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A Walk Along The EDSA 86 Trail
With the risk of betraying my age here, I was wee little toddler when the first People Power Revolution of 1986 happened. As such, I have no recollection of what happened during those historic 4 days in February save from what I eventually read in history books, in school, and the stories my mom who was there told me. As such, I must admit I have no idea what it was like for the millions who flocked to EDSA despite the danger that loomed, who only had hope and prayers as their weapons against tanks and guns. Instead, what I feel about it is frustration and cynicism, that it was an…
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Coworking In The City: A Space Greenbelt
Sometime last year, I have made the transition from being an office employee to a freelancer. It was a crazy ride, to say the least. And I actually wrote about it, so check it out here to find out how it was for me. The timing of this transition is an interesting one I should say. As more and more people are embracing becoming freelancers, there has been a growth in demand in recent years for what are called coworking spaces, where freelancers like myself and startups can have a place where they can work while not having to worry about the huge rental rates, among others, that regular office spaces demand.…
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Manila 1945: Remembering A City’s Bloody Feburary
Originally posted on February 3, 2015, this post has been rewritten to add some new stuff and make the piece more “timeless” and less constrained from being a 70th anniversary post as it was originally written. February has been a traditionally known worldwide as the “love month,” as well as being as being historic month for the Philippines, especially in recent years due to the events of 1986 which culminated in what we now know as the first People Power Revolution. But not many people of another historic event that happened years back in 1945, one of the darkest and most devastating chapters in the history of Manila and of the…