This is the 3rd part of a series covering Carlos Celdran’s Viva Manila tour. Click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2. There are, sad to say, only a few hotels from the prewar years that have managed to survive and serve as living monuments to a bygone glorious era that we had. One of them was part of the itinerary of the recent Carlos Celdran Viva Manila tour. Meet the Miramar Hotel, a hotel built in the Art Deco style of architecture built in the 1930s. As one can see, the hotel has done a good job preserving many of its original elements to be appreciated by…
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Viva Manila!: A Bakeshop with a Dolphy Connection (And Some Sidelights Along the Way)
This entry is part of the Viva Manila series inspired by the tour of Carlos Celdran. If you haven’t caught up with Part 1, click here Our Viva Manila walking tour adventure continues as we proceeded to our next stop, Hizon’s Cakes and Pastries along J. Bocobo Street in Ermita, one of the few remaining old dining places in Ermita. From its humble beginnings in 1946 as a bakeshop located along Raon (now Gonzalo Puyat) Street in Quiapo, Hizon’s grew as a beloved brand in its reputation thanks to its pastries, particularly their big and fluffy ensaymada which became synonymous with the bakeshop itself. One of its growing number of loyal customers…
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Viva Manila!: Exploring Malate and Ermita with Carlos Celdran (Part 1)
On the occasion of the 444th anniversary of the founding of the City of Manila this June 24, renowned tour guide, activist, and heritage advocate Carlos Celdran launched a free walking tour for all Sundays of the month dubbed “Viva Manila.” This special walking tour aims to get visitors reacquainted with the old city itself and appreciate its charm that is being overlooked these days, in particular with the districts of Malate and Ermita which used to be the haven of the rich and a bustling part of the city, especially before the war. The Urban Roamer was fortunate to join in one of those tours as we walked our way…
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The Lady of Ermita
Mention the place “Ermita” and you will probably get many responses that dwell on the district’s not-so-positive reputation, thanks to it being known before as a haven of the so-called “girly bars” that has tainted this old district’s heritage, never mind the fact that these bars are no longer as prevalent as they were before the 1990s. Nevertheless, for the old Catholic faithful in the district, they have their affections lie on one lady whose presence there predates the bars, going as far back at least to the time when the Spaniards set foot in Manila in 1571. The lady of Ermita that is the Marian image known as the Nuestra…