Sightseeing
The Philippines is the only Christian na-tion in East Asia, so in Manila there are several old churches to view. Unfortunately, earthquakes through the last centuries have considerably reduced the number. Manila also has some nice parks worth visiting, and some old Spanish fortifications as well.
Many museums are scattered all over the city. For specific details on museums, please refer to the chapter Art and Culture.
RIZAL PARK
This park of about one third of a square kilometer (7.4 acres), located between Intramuros and Ermita, can be considered the oversized city plaza of Metro Manila. It is one of the most beautiful city plazas (or city parks) in the world, less because of the way it is designed, landscaped or planted, but because of ways in which the people of Manila make use of it.
The park, named after the national hero, Jose Rizal, is divided into three parts by Roxas Blvd and Maria Orosa St. The part nearest Manila Bay is referred to as the Grandstand Area. The portion between Roxas Blvd and Maria Orosa St is the Monument Area named after the Rizal monument, while the segment between Maria Orosa St and Taft Ave is designated the Globe Area, in reference to a globe in center of the skat-ing rink.
In spite of its giant size, Luneta, as Rizal Park is commonly called, never looks big. On the contrary, every Saturday, Sunday or holiday, it seems too small to accommodate all the people strolling around. And Rizal Park does not close at night. The music, broadcast through numerous loudspeakers, continues until after midnight, and the lights do not go out until dawn.
Luneta is emptiest around noon time, be-cause more often than not, it is too hot to stay in the sun. The most pleasant time in Luneta is in the evening.
Photographers by the dozens are in the park to take pictures of strollers for a small charge, and various vendors hawk their wares. The park also serves as a meeting place for both saints and sinners, as there are small evangelical groups and faith healers as well as male and female pros-titutes.
Even though Rizal Park is listed here un-der sightseeing, along with historic monu-ments, it is not only a place to see but a place to be. Foreigners residing in Manila easily adopt the Filipino habit of just stroll-ing through the park during leisure hours.
Grandstand Area
Along the harbor front in back of the grandstand, people picnic, swim, stroll, sit, sleep, and wash clothes. It is also a place where many like to watch the famous sunset over Manila Bay. There are two playgrounds (6,7) for children, and several refreshment stands. A comfort room and a police outpost (8) are located under the grandstand.
At one end of the sea front there are boats for the harbor and sunset cruise (9) as well as cruises and guided tours to Corregidor. Monday through Friday Golden Horizon Cruise Services operates a sunset cruise in the evening. On Saturdays there are two morning cruises and two evening trips and on Sundays and holidays they have 5 morning trips and 4 afternoon and evening trips.
Also along the sea front is a commemorative (10) in honor of the first landing of the China Clipper in Manila November 29, 1935. The clipper used to pull right up to the side of the Manila Hotel.
Today the site is a dock for the MV Island Cruiser which makes tours to Corregidor daily at 7:30 and returns at 12:20. On Sunday there is a trip at 13:30 with return at 17:50. For reservations and further information call Sun Cruises Inc Tel 50-66-11 to 18, 58-88-09, 521-07-91, 521-07-92.
Often there are small groups of evangelists (11) with loudspeakers in this area. There are several restaurants (5) which extend over Manila Bay.
The Quirino Grandstand (12), is the site for big political demonstrations. During the last weeks of Marcos' rule, this was where Cory Aquino's huge rallies were held reportedly attended by up to two million people. Even if this figure is exaggerated, the rallies were definitely gigantic. 500,000 people is still an enormous crowd.
Some of the more successful and commercialized evangelists also talk to their audiences at the grandstand. And the grandstand is frequently used as the start and end point of marathons. Sometimes it is the site of Ati-Atihan contests.
In front of the grandstand is a large field where many teams of various kinds of sports practice and play. The area is big enough for several soccer fields. Just opposite the Manila Hotel is the Rizal Park Post Office (13).
Statues of a carabao (15), the water buffalo which still does most of the work in rural areas, and a Tamaraw (15), the small-sized wild buffalo in the Philippines, may be seen on the stairs which lead to the grandstand portion when coming from Roxas Blvd. Along Roxas Blvd, double deck buses can be boarded for rides to Baclaran, all the way along the sea front.
This page: http://www.cockatoo.com/english/philippines/philippines_sightseeing.htm
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