Portrait of the City:
Some After-tour Musings

For P500, this one-of-a-kind tour is definitely worth more than its price. Brainchilded by Filipinas Heritage Library for the National Book Development Month, this tour kept its promise and more with a tour on the beautiful (or once beautiful) spots that inspired our local artists to write about. Albeit an hour late, the ‘tourists’ were entertained by the exhibit put up by FHL about the then gems of the city.

The trip started out around 10 am, first stop is Sionil Jose’s La Solidaridad Bookstore. My bus seatmate was so excited that she declared it a too early payback to see her idol in person. I would never forget Sionil’s remark that we were “the country” then in South East Asia in the 50’s.

On the way there and on times when we are moving from one city to another, our tour guide Janna reads us some literary pieces both In English and Tagalog. [One brings to memory the good old times back in a classroom where a lively exchange of ideas and sorts take place]. She would occasionally stop to comment on a place or situation, recalling how things used to be.

On how Pasay was the summer spot then, along with Cavite and Laguna. People worn out by the cities, then the area of Intramuros, Binondo, Escolta and Ermita, would seek rejuvenation in this place with all its beaches and summer houses of the old rich. Pasay derived its name from a Bornean princess. Ermita is derived from the word ’ermitanyo’, named to pay tribute to a hermit who did charitable acts in their village. Makati started out as a small hacienda donated to the Jesuits by the Roxases. Ateneo and UST aren’t in their original location now.

Some sad notes along the tour. A lot of buildings in magnificent architectures are slowly giving in to decay. I wonder if they never really evoke a feeling of inspiration from the passersby or the city officials to seriously rethink restoration” or even “maintenance”. Janna was pointing out that the Burnham city plan didn’t push through because they have to use the money for irrigation. What a beautiful city Manila could have been. Just think of European piazzas. Then it wouldn’t really be that expensive to experience a European park, would it?

Passing by the bridges displaying the gloomy Pasig River would lull and tempt me to close my eyes and think of Venice. The constricted streets of Binondo would make me dream of the narrow streets of Vienna.


At around 1 pm, we stopped by a Chinese restaurant in Binondo for lunch. This was a time to socialize a bit and get to know the rest of us. It was interesting to note how only a handful of men were there. A mom with 2 teenage girls spending their Saturday in style. Notice how Chinese-looking most of them were. We had only one foreigner, an Australian, also an avid reader of Jose.

After the hearty lunch we headed for Bahay Nakpil-Bautista. The curator, Mang Tessie, is an old yet energetic lady very much caught up in her craft of describing the parts and parcels of what used to be the house of Gregoria de Jesus (widow of Andres Bonifacio) and Julio Nakpil.

She led us to the room where a replica of the controversial ‘Parisian Life’ of Juan Luna is hanging. She then began talking passionately about all the other pieces in that quaint living room. Chiara sat on the bench where Rizal and the Katipuneros once sat. At that instant I entered another room that instantly conveyed all sense of poignancy over something that hasn’t yet seen the light of the day. Playing the kundiman Saan Ka Man Naroroon, I was enchanted by the portrait of the girl standing by the window. It brought back idealistic and patriotic feeling over this mother land that seems to cry “saan ka man naroroon”, grieving over the unrealized dreams of her sons and daughter, or their lost ideals of honesty and integrity that could yet rouse the dreams once more…. ”Asahan mo sa habang panahon, alaala kita, saan ka man naroroon.”

After Quiapo, we started our way to the last stop, University of the Philippines, still enjoying the afternoon lecture despite the sleepy mood that the lazy afternoon invites you to.

Overall, how pleasant the tour turned out to be. It left in me hopes that one day might soon be realized. I would like to think that it’s possible. We already have the smiles of the people that foreigners would often wonder about and instantaneously equate with hope.

We certainly are in need of more of these activities. Because in them a sense of hope is rekindled and a new breed of people are born where culture is appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed. It need not be pricey to be culturati. It may well cost only about 5 servings of coffee from Starbucks. All it needs is a little openness, a restraint perhaps to quirk over classic novels and music. (Because music touches individual as illustrated in this article http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/birth_pangs_of_new_era_in_music/ )Or if not, maybe a little diversion from all the typical gimmicking that is there.