I'm such a fan of Carlos Celdran, he's the most famous Old Manila tour guide where he conducts walking tours with performance art of Intramuros, CCP and Ermita/Malate areas. His tour rate is around P1k for adults and P600 for students. What's great about him is his barter tours, where you can give him anything - food, books or even items in exchange for the tour. I always wanted to see him in action and last June 28, my dream finally came true with a barter tour of Ermita and Malate through EMBOA (Ermita Malate Business Owners' Association) and Viva Manila.
I have fond memories of both places. Ermita being my neighborhood of 25 years, this is the only one I consider home. While Malate Catholic School was my beloved alma mater for 10 years. Growing up in the 90's, these areas were known as the seedy red light district littered with cheap bars so I felt ashamed of it somehow. It was only when I read about the Manila prewar history that I appreciated its rich cultural heritage. Daniel Burnham, the American architect and urban designer who made master plans for Chicago and Washington DC also made a grand plan for Manila. Back in the 1920s to 30s, Ermita and Malate were considered the Forbes Park or Ayala Alabang, home to the wealthy families of Nakpil, Guerrero and Ayala. Schools such as Ateneo de Manila, Assumption, Saint Paul were located in Ermita. After the war, these two areas were badly damaged and most affluent families transferred to other cities.
The Tour
My son Riley and I registered at Malate Pensionne around 3pm. I brought old books for the barter. Carlos invited everyone, all 220 of us - a mix of foreigners and locals to sing the national anthem. I swear I got goosebumps. He then introduced the pensionne owner and he talked about the property. The original building was built during the U.S. Commonwealth period. It used to be called Dakota Apartments. It was converted into a pensionne house in 1974. We took a tour inside the rooms and room rate is around P2k with breakfast for two.
We then proceeded to Remedios Circle where Carlos gave a brief lecture on Burham and his master plan for Manila. Malate is also famous for its church built in 1591 in honor of Nuestra Senora de los Remedios. The church is currently undergoing major renovation. I was also delighted to tell Riley about Malate Catholic School who will celebrate its centennial anniversary on 2017.
Carlos instructed the group to take a jeep and go to Tesoro's along Mabini Street near Padre Faura. Founded in 1945, Tesoro's is the place for authentic quality Philippine handicrafts. He also said there's a 20% off for those who will purchase items there. I like the intricate designs of the souvenirs and the miniature tricycles.
1335 Gallery is a space for contemporary art and supports artistic creation through diverse exhibitions, workshops, lectures and artist-in-residence programs. The multimedia presentations were interesting for me since it was my first time to see these types of exhibits.
Next stop is the Lotus Garden Hotel, The Marilo Wing is an old art deco apartment used by the Americans in the 1950's. It was refurbished and now an extension of the hotel. Room rate is around P2,200 twin sharing.
An abandoned old building was pointed out by Carlos as a property of GSIS and this might be demolished anytime to give way for another condominium I bet. Such a sad state for our urban buildings, the local government don't seem to care about preserving these gems.
Along Arquiza Street is F. Sionil Jose's ancestral house. He is a National Artist for Literature and has a bookshop in Faura Street called La Solidaridad. I still need to visit that store and buy his "Ermita" book.
Further down the street is Hizon's Bakeshop and Za's Cafe. It is popular to its yummy ensaymada and other pastries plus it was Dolphy's favorite cafe. Another must try restaurant on my to do list. I passed by this place so many times going to Robinson's Manila but still never entered it until now.
This renovated structure that's still in the works was home to the original Filipino rock and roll. It used to be a famous bar back in the 70s. It is in Engracia near Orosa Street.
The 1948 old Supreme Court building was built in 1933 and originally part of the UP Manila campus. Another building along P. Faura Street was built in 1930.
The Philam Life building in UN Avenue corner Orosa St. was made in 1961. This landmark structure also housed the Philam Life Theater which has the best acoustics space in the country. I am proud to say that I once performed here during the Center for Pop Music Phils. show back in 1998. The property was bought by SM and hopefully they will preserve it.
Hiraya Gallery was established in 1980 and welcomes unknown new artists and offers refuge for unpopular ones. My close friend Jenny used to work here.
The Miramar Hotel was built in the late 1930s in the art deco style. It used to be a serviced apartment run by the Japanese and converted to Miramar Inn after the war.
Beside Miramar, is Bel-Air Apartments, designed by National Artist Pablo Antonio in 1933 and also survived World War 2. My parents worked here since the 1960s and we made it our home until 2004. It has 9 stories and residents include politicians, celebrities as well as foreigners. The rooms are spacious with a great view of Manila Bay and Luneta. My dream project is to gather photos and research material of this building together with my father. d
Back to Miramar Hotel, it has a sky roof with lovely lounge areas for guests.
The Luneta Hotel, first opened in 1918 and designed by Spanish architect-engineer Salvador Farre. Society's elite and foreign dignitaries frequent this place during its heyday. It was neglected in the 80's after the Marcos era. The good news is that it re-opened in 2014 and the grand dame is back.
The tour ended with a selfie group shot in Rizal monument together with Torre de Manila, the country's photobomber which drew a lot of protests. The Rizal memorial is the work of Swiss sculptor Richard Kissling who cast the the bronze figure in Switzerland. It was completed in 1917. Rizal and fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were executed in Luneta. Today, Rizal Park is constantly being improved and provided with cctv cameras for added security. It is one of the last remaining green spaces in the metro.
Information of some landmarks were lifted from the EMBOA tour flyer.
For details, please visit www.emboa.com.ph
For Carlos' tour schedule, visit http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/
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