A Tribute to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya

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With less than three months to go before the end of the glorious administration of Benigno Aquino III, it is but apt on this April Fools Day to pay tribute to one of the greatest cabinet officials of his administration, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya. How can the Urban Roamer pay tribute to his legacy without mentioning … Read more

Protestantism in the Metropolis: Central United Methodist Church In Manila

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More often than not, when we talk about Manila’s faith heritage, we talk about the city’s Catholic heritage. That should not be a surprise given that Catholicism is pretty much ingrained in our culture since the Spanish colonial period and that Manila, Intramuros in particular, was the epicenter not only of Catholicism in the country but in Asia as a whole, with its 7 churches located within the city walls.

Overlooked in all this is the city’s religious heritage beyond Catholic Manila. Granted they are not as old as the Catholic churches, they have an interesting story to tell as well. One of them is the subject of today’s post, the Central United Methodist Church of Manila.

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Guest Post: Surviving Soul-Crushing Holy Week Traffic

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by Carlo Miguel Castañeda

Note: Yup, the Urban Roamer accepts guest posts now. If you have anything to share about interesting events and places in the metropolis or some tips in urban living that may fit this site’s content, do email me at karl@theurbanroamer.com. Remember that it will be my discretion as to whether I will post your content here and not every submission is guaranteed to be published. Thank you!

The forecast is always similar every long holiday: be prepared for traffic along the various expressways that lead out of the metro and into the provinces. This is something you tend to expect, and often prepare for, but that still doesn’t change the fact that the tendency is that you are going to get stuck in soul-crushing Holy Week Traffic.

Traffic at the North Luzon Expressway (photo courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

So between the buses and all the other cars that you may encounter out there on your way to wherever you plan on spending the long weekend, here are a few ways you can keep your cool while you move at a snail’s pace.

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Pasig Cathedral: The Historic Catholic Bastion of East Metro Manila

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As has been established here in the Urban Roamer, Pasig is one of the few cities in Metro Manila whose old town center is still quite intact as far as the layout and the presence of heritage in the area.

As far as heritage is concerned, perhaps the most prominent heritage landmark of the old Pasig town center is its church, officially known as the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Pasig, but more popularly known as the Pasig Cathedral, the oldest structure in Pasig.

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