Pasay City: How it can Help you Master Metro Manila

When I first stayed in Metro Manila to look for a job I stayed at Pasay City.

I was not familiar with the place although I knew a Pasay City exists in the Philippine map. Five years ago never did I dream of staying in Metro Manila, or if ever I did, I would rather stay in either, Makati, Manila or Quezon City.

Not until 2006 after passing the CPA Board exam. All may peers were working in Metro Manila and so knowing that the place has a lot of opportunities to offer I decided to join them.

First of course is to decide on where to stay. I don’t want to stay in a relatives’ place as I want to explore the place on my own so I decided to stay with my classmate in no choice but Pasay.

We stayed at a typical non luxurious dorm. We rented the place for Php6,000.00 a month (around $142.00). Not bad as the room is quite wide, and semi furnished with sink, cabinet and beds with the exception of a common bathroom. But still not bad as the rent is fixed inclusive of utilities.

Another good deal, which I think is a very rear deal, is that we were not required any advance rental fees. We paid for a month of stay and were told to just continue paying the succeeding month as long as we want to stay.

We were lucky to find such place in Metro Manila. But of course that’s not the only reason why I stayed in Pasay for almost five years.

I’ve been to different districts of the Philippine Metropolis especially here in Metro Manila and Pasay is still one strategic area if you’re looking for the right place. And the best place to stay in Pasay is probably near the intersection of Buendia Avenue and FB Harrison Street.

Why?

Because from that place it’s only one ride to the following famous places in the Philippine Metropolis:

One ride to Baclaran

FB Harrison Street stretches from Baclaran to Manila, so it's only a ride from our place if you're headed to Baclaran area.

To go to Baclaran, just look for the jeepney with Baclaran signboard along FB Harrison Street. And that’s it you’re good to go.

Baclaran is famous as it is where the National Shrine of our Mother of Perpetual Help or Baclaran Church, as for the common folks is located.

Near the church are shops where your can bargain for the cheapest item ranging from clothing apparels to any souvenirs and more.

One ride to Divisoria

From Baclaran to the Northern area of Metro Manila, FB Harrison connects to Mabini then to Unite Nations Avenue to P. Burgos Avenue on its way to Divisoria.

The capital of all bargain places same with Baclaran but larger. Malls like Tutuban Mall and 168 Mall offer cheap merchandise.

Even much cheaper items are sold in small stalls along the street. No wonder why it’s flooded with people from different places everyday.

To go there is just the same. On the opposite side of FB Harrison wait for a jeepney with a signboard Divisoria..

One ride to Manila Area, Including Robinson’s Ermita, Intramuros, Manila City Hall, and SM Manila

By taking Divisoria jeepney you will pass by Pedro Gil Street where Robinson’s Ermita is located, then Intramuros, the famous walled city after United Nations Avenue just across Manila City Hall and SM Manila on the other side.

One ride to Quiapo

Yes to complete the Big Three Bargain Places is Quiapo. You can also take a jeepney from FB Harrison to Quiapo. Same with Divisoria and Baclaran, Quiapo is one of the most visited place in the Philippine Metropolis. Not just because of the cheap merchandise but because of the very famous Quiapo Church.

Quiapo Church is the basilica of the famous Black Nazarene. People from different places of different scale of living visit the place. The Church is flooded with thousands of visitor everyday, believing that the said Nazarene is miraculous.

To go to Quiapo from FB Harrison, all you need to is the same as what you did in going to Divisoria. From where you took a jeepney to Divisoria, look for a jeepney signed Quiapo instead of Divisoria.

One ride to Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1

The LRT is only a ride from FB Harrison near Buendia Avenue. You can choose between two stations of Line 1, Gil Puyat Station or Libertad Station (although the former is the nearest).

If you’re headed to Gil Puyat Station you can take a jeepney along Buendia Avenue with a signboard Guadalupe or PRC, sometimes Baclaran but to be safe just take the first two.

If you’re on your way to Libertad Station, take the jeepney signed Evangelista either along FB Harrison near Buendia intersection.

One ride to Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3

Now the easiest way to get to MRT is to take Evangelista jeepney going to Libertad station of LRT and take the train up to EDSA Station and transfer to MRT line end point in Taft Avenue Station.

That’s two rides but you can actually take a ride along Buendia Avenue. Take a jeepney with a sign board Baclaran MRT and you’re on your way to the first station of MRT in Taft Avenue in just a ride.

One ride to Makati Area

Now that would depend on which area of Makati your headed.

If you’re going to Ayala Avenue then you can take the bus along  Buendia Avenue near FB Harrison intersection. Places along Ayala include Glorietta, Greenbelt, and other hotels like Intercon Manila.

If your headed to Guadalupe Makati area, take the Guadalupe jeepney along the same place (Buendia and FB Harrison Intersection).

One ride to Cubao Area, Quezon City and Fairview

Along Buendia Avenue, take the bus going to Fairview, the same bus passing by Ayala Avenue. These buses go through EDSA Highway, which means you will be passing by the areas of Mandaluyong, Cubao and Quezon City, Commonwealth Avenue going to Fairview.

And my favorite, one ride to Mall of Asia

Just across the street along the intersection of Buendia Avenue and FB Harrison street near Seven Eleven Store Across Metrobank, are multi-cabs going to the mall of Asia. You’ll find them easily as they are colored blue or orange.

And that’s it…

Those are the benefits of staying near the intersection of Buendia and FB Harrison as far as going to different areas is concerned.

Another reason why I like staying in that area is that it is not flooded during heavy rains. Typhoon Ondoy of 2009 left most of the areas of Metro Manila under water for almost 12 hours but the area along Buendia and FB Harrison Intersection was unaffected. The area is quite elevated hence we don’t worry much about flood.

Now these are just a few of the things you might want to consider if you plan to stay in the Philippine Metropolis especially the in Metro Manila.

And if Pasay City is your choice, take my advice, choose the area near the Buendia, FB Harrison Intersection.

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Living Urban: Spending Long Weekend Withhin the Philippines' Urban Area

Saturday, Sunday, plus two holidays, is a very long weekend next to holy week

Well, we don’t need to go outside of the metropolis to spend our long week end vacation. Just within the urban area we enjoyed that long non-working days (although we spent a day outside the capital region).

Day one was a trip to my daughter’s pediatrician. It’s just an hour trip to the southern city in Lipa City Batangas. What’s good about living in the Philippines’ metropolis is that the bus station is just on the other street so we don’t need to wake up too early to prepare (it’s very convenient).

Unlike before where it would take you two hours or more to travel to the southern cities, we can now enjoy a non stop trip along the South Luzon Express Way.

We took the Ceres bus in Buendia Pasay, its route is actually from Pasay to Batangas, so you can take this trip if you’re on your way to Batangas Port.

After the checkup we spent a day in Lipa and went back to Metro Manila the following day.

Day three was spent in Mall of Asia, (the largest mall in Asia), so large that you can actually spend the entire day in that place. You can start the day by going to church beside the mall, have lunch after mass, watch movie, play bowling, watch fireworks and more… until 10pm.

Mall of Asia is just a 5-minute ride from our place, so we can actually visit anytime we want (another benefit of living urban in the Philippines).

We went swimming in our place the following day. It’s just downstairs anyway in the amenities area. The area is so wide that you can actually just spend your entire long weekend there. Start your day by going to the gym, go swimming after workout if you can. Have some lunch and play billiards or table tennis or just stay inside the wi-fi study area with your laptop.

I know, these are just for lazy people like me who wouldn’t want to take a trip to other places to spend their vacation. Maybe after a few months if I’m already sated of spending my non working days in the area that start I’ll looking for another place to spend our vacation. Anyway the bus stop is just on the on the next street.

For now I think we can enjoy spending our weekends and other vacations within the Philippine Metropolis. J

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Philippine Metropolis: Why is Ortigas Station Far from Ortigas Avenue?

Ortigas MRT Station is a station on the Manila MRT Blue Line (MRT-3) in the Philippine Metropolis. The station is located in the Mandaluyong portion of Ortigas Center and is named after either Ortigas Center or

Ortigas Avenue, which is nearby.

It’s the sixth station for trains headed to Taft Avenue and the eighth station for trains headed to North Avenue and located directly beside the Asian Development Bank Complex. – courtesy of wikipedia.org

But shouldn’t it have been named Mega Mall Station or Asian Development Bank Station? It’s quite far from  Ortigas Avenue.

Our building is located along that avenue and I take the MRT everyday to get to that place. After getting off the train in Ortigas Station I need to walk for about 15 minutes.

So I was wondering why name it Ortigas Station or maybe just keep the name but build the station near Ortigas Avenue.

I made use of the 15-minute walk to figure it out.

Maybe:

1. Because of EDSA shrine there’s no place for a new structure in that area,
2. There’s a church and the loud train could disturb the people hearing mass,
3. The wave of people coming out of the train station would cause traffic along EDSA and Ortigas Intersection,
4. POEA could be one factor. There are too many people there everyday. And the sidewalk during the day is saturated with applicants and vendors, or
5. The builders really meant it for people to take that 15-minute walk and wonder or figure out why the station was build far from the supposed avenue.

Up to now I’m still wondering why. After maybe another few months of walking along EDSA I’d be able to figure it out.

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You know where to go with a doubt, other coutries... without  doubt, Philippines.

Metro Manila Street Food: How Many Sticks of Fried Isaw Can You Eat?

Filipinos love to cook and eat. Just by roaming around the Philippine Metropolis you would see various kinds of Filipino food.

Just a month ago I was introduced to a new dish. Well not that new, it’s actually an antiquated cuisine that I usually ignore every time I see them. It’s the food people of the next level echelon of socialites abhor (I guess).

Yes, the street foods, fried Isaw to be specific, a Pork intestine coated with cream (just egg and starch) on a quarter-foot-long bamboo skewer deep fried in used oil.

I used to frown upon those people who mob around that small wagon that sells isaw, not until last month.

My wife loves street foods and just a month ago she found this place in Buendia, Pasay, near Taft Avenue, while on here way home from work. A bunch of small customized wagons attached with a small cauldron filled with used oil frying isaw.

She tried some and sad to say she loves them and now wants me to try it.

So the following week after I fetched her from work as promised we dropped by the area.

And there we were. I was never hesitant either, it smelled good so I tried one and I swear it tasted good. This is the food I thought would taste like how I look at it but now it’s different.

I didn’t even realize that I’m on my fourth stick of fried isaw. What made it tasted better was the dip, a jar filled with vinegar with chopped onions and chili (and Hepa if you’re lucky enough).

Customers who ate around dip their fried isaw in that jar, (a common dip for all… yummy!).  Just eat until you are satisfied and pay Php5.00 ($0.11) per stick, just count how many sticks of isaw you ate. Yes I like it (Thumbs up).

So I was stuffed with pork intestines and later that night I was waiting for diarrhea to attack (but I didn’t happen).

I woke up the following day looked at the mirror to see if I have mutated into a new species but none, I’m still normal. I didn’t feel anything different, as if I had a normal dinner the night before.

Maybe it was just my mind telling me before that they don’t taste good. Now every time I fetch my wife from work we always drop by to eat fried isaw. Thanks to her for introducing me to a new taste. : - )

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10 Things I Dare You to Do in Metro Manila

Philippines, a great place for seemly people of good culture…

Modern era, a new fashioned time for competitive people of recent civilization…

Take time to picture a country of hope and progress…Metro Manila the Place to be…

(Ok Cut!!)

I’m trying to write an article but I don’t know where to start so I wrote those lines.

I can’t even think of a topic to write so ill just dare you to do something (if you can). I don’t think you can even do at least 5. (These were just the product of a person's wild imagination  who doesn't want his day to get ruined by the heavy traffic) : -)

1. Take out your iPhone while walking along the streets of Divisoria or Quiapo.

2. Pretend to be handicapped and take the lead vehicle of the MRT. (or if you’re a male and can pretend to be a female much better)

3. Take the LRT and after every passenger settles down read the poetries Berso sa Metro posted on the walls of the train aloud, in Spanish.

4. Go to Ortigas avenue and take the overpass crossing EDSA or along Taft Avenue from Metro Point, give a donation to the blind singing, request a song and sing with him.

5. Go to any Starbucks Coffee Shop and instead of the usual picture taking with your frapp as a souvenir take a handful of coffee bean from the harvest sack displayed.

6. Send a text reply to any of those written vandalism on the bus seats, or bring a pen and write your own response.

7. If you’re inside the MRT or LRT draw near a person with a loud mp3 or headset and sing the song he’s listening to.

8. Stand beside a person using his ipad inside the MRT or LRT and ask him how many Angry Bird levels he can unlock.

9. Take the MRT during rush hours. When you approach Guadalupe Station get near the exit door, get yourself stuck by the wave of passengers coming in and shout “Doctor Wak-wak!”

10.  Go to EDSA and ask an MMDA officer for a cigarette lighter (but don’t bring a cigarette).

 Hey, but Manila is a good place to stay. If you want to know more about it you can read the articles about Living Urban, The PhilippineMetropolis Way article.

Living Urban, The Philippine Metropolis Way

What do you want to know about the Philippine Metropolis?

What do I suggest you should know about it?

Well… All of them…

We’d been to various spots in the Philippine Metropolis and the fun and pleasure never seem to end.

It’s amazing how a busy place could give you moments to relax and give you variety of experiences (from modern to historical).

Over the several years of stay in the Philippine Metropolis, we found ourselves in every shopping malls, restaurants, and hotels.

Whatever your purpose of visit is, whether business related, convention, or just to spend time with your family on a vacation, the Philippine metropolis has so much to offer.

Knowing the right direction from place to place within the Philippine Metropolis has never been a problem, so you’ll get to spend much of your time doing your errand rather than finding your way to where you’re headed.

Planning to move to the Philippine Metropolis? Not a problem. Top spot real estates are all here. (within the metropolis or the neighboring cities)

One reason so far I know why we love staying here: “everything we need is just across the street.”

• Our favorite past time, shopping to our favorite malls
• Great food (especially seafood)
• Wellness centers and spas
• Near the top schools and universities.
• Historical places to visit (and learn about our history)
• Old and modern churches
• Great convention centers and concert grounds
• Employment opportunities (it’s the business capital )
• Offshore opportunities for foreign corporations (labor costs are low)
• Great people…great culture…

No reasons found yet to leave the place.

I will share with you the things I know about Urban Living the Philippine Metropolis way in this site.

First the basic things you need to know to guide you throughout your trip in the Philippine Metropolis.

The Airport
Important things you need to know upon arrival (before you tour yourself around the Philippine Metropolis). This is about finding your way out of the Philippine Airport.

Different means of transportation when you tour yourself around the Philippine Metropolis
Dare yourself to try all modes of transportation in the Philippines and to help you reach different areas without inconvenience…