themanilaguide:

Dying to Believe in Faith Healing

There’s an interesting piece of news that’s been making the rounds on the local channels. A healing priest, Father Fernando Suarez, commanded a staggering 15,000 hopefuls to Olongapo City, just one stop in his exhaustive multi-city healing ministry tour. The promise of an instant cure drew this overwhelming crowd where two died waiting while seven were rushed to the hospital because of exhaustion. Being the only predominantly Catholic nation in Asia, the Philippines has its...

February 4th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

Cordillera Suite: Homage to Apo Ben

National Art’s month is just around the corner so what better time to plug a beloved painter whose works you must see if you should decide to come to our shores? Benedicto Cabrera, better known as Bencab, is a national artist whose extraordinary body of work captures the Filipino spirit with its focus on pressing social issues. Though my exploration of Filipino painters is restricted to what’s readily available in the galleries and malls, I have to say that his work astonishes for its...

January 30th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

Bellini’s. The One with the Must Try Panna Cotta.

Cubao X is home to some of the most interesting shops around. From art galleries, vintage shops, to an independent movie theater, one can say that this is area is what East Village is to New York (albeit densely packed to one block area minus the artist’s studios and cultural convergence. Fine, it’s not really the East Village but one can dream, right?) Still there is an undeniable artistic energy at Cubao X (formerly known as Marikina Shoe Expo). Because of the creative nature of the...

January 29th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

Bangkal- A Refuge for Attic Raiders.

Do old things intrigue you? Do you think that things that were once commonplace and then suddenly disappeared are now officially treasures? Are you fond of old things because you feel that the dents, the scratches, the discoloration, all add up to a great tale no money can buy? If you answered yes to all of the above, then you must check out Bangkal- the place where great stories are sold for bargain-basement prices. I love how you can just walk by the place and experience retail deja vu. One of...

January 27th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

SaGuijo. Home of Original Pinoy Music.

Manila nightlife isn’t too shabby. You’ve got a good selection of bars and clubs to go to whether it’s hip-hop, trance, or salsa you’re looking for. If you’re like me who feels more at home observing clubbers than actually being one of them, then you should check out SaGuijo. The farthest thing from a bar, it’s a house party that got smart and started charging people for beer. The bar’s name speaks loads about it. SaGuijo is a combination of two words,...

January 22nd, 2008 | Manila | Read More

Fat Michael’s Place. The One that’s so Good, it Co

“We cook slow. Live with it.” The very bold statement written across the cover of an otherwise lovely, delicately hand-painted menu. Fat Michael’s should’ve just said, “We cook slow but kill instantly”. I’m sure you’ve had that moment when you sink your teeth into something so inexpressibly delicious you just have to give up and say to yourself, “I could die right now”. I’ve had several of those moments at Fat Michael’s, but...

January 19th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

Press. The One that’s Good for Hiding Out.

The “cold” season has finally arrived in the Philippines. Cold in parenthesis because there are really only two seasons in the Philippines, hot and less hot. But we’ll take what we can get. This five-degree drop gives us the license to start layering our clothing and bringing out those imported comforters, kindly handed down by family and friends working abroad. Unfortunately, it also means going through the hassle of heating up your bathwater in the chilly mornings. Here in the...

January 11th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

Amici. The One that Looks Like a Cafeteria.

I once boasted to a friend from out of town that I was about to take him to the best Italian place in town. You can imagine his face when we entered a restaurant that very much looked and felt like a school cafeteria. Welcome to Amici de Don Bosco, Italian for Friends of Don Bosco. Its bare bones set up and strictly functional ambiance contrasts its food that’s richly flavored and brimming with care. Now known simply as Amici, it was a pet project of the Salesian priests of Don Bosco...

January 9th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

Ayala Museum- Art in the City

Some say that the Ayalas, mega landlords and the richest clan in the Philippines, have an inherent duty to give back to the country. If that were true, then the Philippines would be brimming with galleries, museums, and libraries donated by the elite class. The Ayalas have a rare commitment to nation building and the conservation of the arts- it’s obvious in the passion and attention they took in putting up the Ayala Museum. That being said, the Ayala Museum still has a long way to go. The...

January 7th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

Corporate Haven for Night Riders.

Corporate life in Makati, the country’s premiere business district, can get pretty ho hum. Aside from the occasional flash floods, midnight sales, and anti-Gloria Macapagal Arroya rallies, nothing really occurs out of the ordinary. That’s why it came as such a great surprise when I found out that some avid skateboarders have made a skate zone out of the Legazpi parking lot. Come nightfall, when the cars disappear, the skater boys and girls emerge from their offices and enjoy...

January 5th, 2008 | Manila | Read More

5 Things To Do in the Coming Year

2007 is done and over with. After a haze of fireworks and frightening sounds, drinks all around, daylight has seeped through and it’s time bring in a fresh new year filled with adventure. 5 Things To Do in the Coming Year 1) Swim with the Whale SharksManila is just a plane ride away and an hour’s car trip from Donsol, the Whale Shark capital of the world. It’s one of the few places where you can swim side by side with the largest fish in the world. And as adventurous as I am,...

January 5th, 2008 | Manila | Read More