Travel Bites: Hip and historic Quezon City

MOST folks have never thought of Quezon City as a tourism destination. I don’t blame them. It is mostly known as a shopping and dining capital, not to mention the location of most government agencies and educational institutions.

Then, not too long ago, I read a newspaper piece quoting a Quezon City government official announcing that the city was targeting to become the “main tourist destination” in Metro Manila.  So, of course, I couldn’t help but take a closer look at the resources Quezon City has that would entice tourists to come and visit it. And true enough, when viewed from a sightseer’s perspective, Quezon City does have a lot of interesting places and fun-filled activities that would surely delight any out-of-towner.

Quezon City has history, art, health and wellness spaces, as well as areas to commune with nature—or with other people if you wish, in hip, modern gathering places.

Must-see’s

The Quezon Memorial Circle at night. (Photo from Kuranges/
Wikimedia Commons)

Historical landmarks. Melchora Aquino, or Tandang Sora, is known as the “Grand Old Lady of the Revolution.” Her remains are interred at the Tandang Sora National Shrine on Banlat Road (near Tandang Sora and Mindanao avenues) believed to be her actual birthplace.

At the shrine is  a towering brass statue of Aquino caring for a sick Katipunero with two other compatriots, sculpted by artist Abdulmari de Leon Imao Jr. The shrine, open to the public only on weekdays, also features six brass murals depicting the revolutionary’s life.

The 90-year-old heritage house of President 

Quezon, now at the QMC. (Photo from QC Hall site) 

The Quezon City Memorial Circle (along Elliptical Road) is both a national park and shrine dedicated to the memory of Manuel L. Quezon Sr., the president of the Philippine Commonwealth.

Rising at its center is a tall, three-pronged, 66-feet monument that houses a museum containing the late president’s memorabilia, and a mausoleum where his remains and those of his wife, Doña Aurora Quezon, rest.  In the morning, the park is a favorite among bikers and joggers; in the evening, visitors are drawn to the lit-up monument and the surrounding dancing water fountains. (UPDATE: The heritage house of President Quezon along Gilmore St. has been transferred and reconstructed at the QMC. October 2014 marks the 75th founding anniversary of Quezon City.)

Religious significance. The Sanctuario de San Pedro Bautista (69 San Pedro Bautista Street, San Francisco del Monte) was founded in 1599 by Fray Pedro Bautista, superior of all Franciscans in the Philippines, as a retreat house and novitiate in what was then a secluded part of town.

While the original structure itself has undergone many renovations, the church became a sanctuary for Katipuneros and American military forces in the 19th century. There is a cave—still open to the public—which was used by the Franciscans so they could pray in silence.

Constructed only in 1954, the Santo Domingo Church (537 Quezon Avenue) and its liturgical objects have been declared National Cultural Treasures by the National Museum.

Although its centuries-old religious artifacts, like ivory statues of saints and gold crucifixes, are hidden in the church’s vaults, on permanent display is the oldest Marian image in the country—the Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval. Other interesting features of the church are the magnificent stained glass windows created by Filipino artist Galo Ocampo, and eight murals by National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco, depicting the life of Saint Dominic de Guzman.

The magnificent stained glass windows of Sto. Domingo Church by Filipino artist Galo Ocampo. (Photo from tanawin.wordpress.com)

Artistic endeavors. The Ateneo Art Gallery (Rizal Library Special Collections Building, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights) is home to Philippine modern artwork, including a collection donated by the late artist Fernando Zobel de Ayala, now part of the permanent exhibition.

In the gallery’s collection are works of Filipino post-war artists such as Ang Kiukok, Vicente Manansala, Napoleon Abueva, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, etc., as well as fine prints and drawings by Rembrandt, Goya, Delacroix, Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso. (The gallery is open daily except Sundays.)

The Vargas Museum (Roxas Avenue, University of the Philippines Campus, Diliman) has a permanent exhibit of artwork from the 19th century (Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo) to post-war modernists (Vicente Manansala), as well as works of invited guest artists. Current exhibits are Curiosities by Geraldine Javier (until April 20) and Walang Sinasanto by Emmanuel Garibay (until March 15).

To-do’s

Shop. Other than its myriad of malls, there are other places in Quezon City that will attract offbeat buyers and bargain hunters.

The Sidcor Sunday Market at Eton Centris Mall (Edsa and Quezon Avenue) is a haven for cheap dry goods, fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables, and new foodie finds. Choice items include reasonably priced tapang usa (deer jerky) and tapang baboy damo (wild boar jerky), live suahe (greasy back shrimps), haricot vert (French beans), organic vegetables and plants.

Cubao Expo (or simply Cubao-X) is a community of shops and dining establishments mostly run by local artists. There are quite a few fascinating finds like vintage clothes, quirky comic books, artwork, secondhand books, furniture and antiques, handmade novelty items, as well as bars and restaurants. (Location: the former Marikina Shoe Expo, General Romulo Avenue, Araneta Center.)

The Dapitan Arcade (Dapitan and Kanlaon streets) is a virtual treasure trove of low-priced export-overrun furniture, shoe accessories, ceramic items and Christmas gee-gaws. It’s a great place to spend one’s afternoon and buy up stuff that can enliven any part of one’s home. There are wrought-iron chairs in antique finish for less than P1,500; assorted white ceramic dinnerware starting from P35; Moroccan hurricane lamps cost about P150, to name a few.

Kamuning Road (from Edsa to Tomas Morato Avenue) is also an area where stores selling antiques, secondhand hardwood furniture and vintage lamps are located. Haggling is the order of the day.

Wine and dine. Maginhawa Street in Teacher’s Village and Katipunan Avenue are new magnets for food enthusiasts.

Along Katipunan Avenue, your best bets are Wooden Spoon (329 Katipunan Avenue) owned by Chef Sandy Daza, which serves up reworked native Filipino dishes (try the stuffed pechay with smoked tinapa, crab pancit and adobo flakes); and Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza (341 Katipunan Avenue, above Mercury Drug Store), which serves Italian dishes with a sincere touch. The pizzas use localkesong puti. (Order the Bianca Verde Pizza, Pesto Raviolo and the sinful Crack Pie.)

Ornamental plants, fresh seafood and meats...

Along Maginhawa Street, notables are The Burger Project (12 Maginhawa) for customized burgers, Crazy Katsu (81 Maginhawa) for chicken katsu, and The IScreamist (46-D Magiting Street) for the Dragon’s Breath S’mores.

Breathe and relax. Go to the La Mesa Ecopark (East Fairview) for a picnic, a swim, or a hike. The park with its lush surroundings has been spruced up and cleaned, and is now a quiet area to bond with one’s family, like the pasyalan of old. (Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.) 

...and cooked food, are some of the many productsone can purchase at the Sidcor Sunday Market. (Sidcor photos by the blogger. All rights reserved)

Where to stay: For visitors staying more than a day, the Cocoon Boutique Hotel (61 Scout Tobias and Scout Rallos, Barangay Laging Handa) has all the amenities of a five-star Makati hotel, at more reasonable rates. It is also a 100-percent green hotel, using repurposed furniture and wood from old houses, organic bathroom toiletries, and is committed to recycling. (For reservations:www.thecocoonhotel.com/index.php)

Getting there: Quezon City is accessible via private vehicle, bus and FX shuttles (mega taxis), which normally pass through Edsa, the main artery in Metro Manila that connects most major cities. You can also reach Quezon City via mass transportation using the LRT 1 and 2, and MRT 3.

(For more information on Quezon City tourist stops, click www.quezoncity.gov.ph. This piece was originally published on Feb. 18, 2013 in the BusinessMirror.)

A word from Prof. Winnie Monsod

I MAY not be from U.P., but I appreciate Prof. Monsod's appeal to her students. She speaks the truth. You want this country to prosper, then stay here and make it work. Not maybe for your sake, but for the sake of the future generations. Stop complaining about the corrupt officials in government if you yourselves cheat in class. We are all leaders...it's time we behave as such. Honor before excellence.

A lousy teacher, an awful student

A FEW days ago, Manolo Quezon (a former colleague at the defunct Today newspaper and one of the country's best editorial writers/opinion columnists today), wrote about how the Presidentita was perceived as a teacher:

"An economist I recently met told me he’d had the President as his professor, and that he felt she’d been a lousy teacher. Why, I asked. She conducted classes, he said, like a bully. She gloried in bombarding her students with questions, saying it was how law students toughened up. The economist said that’s not the way questions are approached in economics, as a discipline, and that furthermore she derived too much enjoyment from demonstrating her authority every which way she could. She tried to pander to female students, he said, but the female students, oddly enough, resented it."

Even then, there were signs of her makings as a future tyrant. (I wonder if she is a fan of Rome and now believes herself to be some kind of Julius Caesar?) Perhaps we can all chalk it down to the common behavior of short ugly people. They just have to force themselves to display other "unusual" talents in order to be noticed.

Kidding aside (or not), even the Presidentita's economics professors also feel embarassed whenever they are "outed" as having her once as a student. It's as if she never learned anything from them. Just ask Dr. Ernie Pernie of the UP School of Economics, who has publicly whipped her for her poor population policy. There are a lot more ex-GMA professors in that university who don't want to be identified with her I reckon.

From Joanne Zapanta-Andrada

Phil. Star columnist Joanne Zapanta-Andrada reacts to my blog entry on her recent column which included an item on my late nephew, Jong Cariño. Her comments below:

hi stella! this is joanne zapanta-andrada and I am really curious what nasty things you wrote about my dressing the president. hahaha! more importantly, i want to say how much jong's death has touched my life. what i did not mention in my article is how many friends he had who responded immediately when they found out he had the accident. they flooded the hospital. he had soo many friends! how blessed he truly was! many great and famous people can never claim the same amount of true friends. i truly wish i knew him! i know he was a special person and i have become a better person to have been with him in his last moments on earth! (Oct. 31, 1:25 am)

tried to write you a couple of times but they never got through. this is joanne zapanta-andrada and i am glad that my last article held some meaning for you. maybe you can tell me what nasty things you said about my dressing the president. hahaha! but more important, i wish yo could tell me about jong. what i do know without a doubt is that he live a full life in his young age. within minutes of my calling his friends (using his cell) they all flooded the ER of asian hospital. many wealthy and influential people can only wish to have as many real friends as jong did. i think he was a very special person indeed! (Oct. 31, 1:44 am)

i saw the photo you posted re gma in a very "butch" outfit. that outfit is not part of her official wardrobe. no idea where it came from. probably it was a gift from a friend as it is not part of our collection. the operative word in my job as wardrobe adviser is "adviser". you can prepare the best outfit and advise her to wear it but if she has her mind set on her own idea of an attire that day , you do not argue with the commander in chief. (Oct. 31, 1:58 am)

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Now, this terno is gorgeous! (From the Philippine Embassy in China)

Hi Joanne! Apologies on behalf of Blogger which can be get a bit funky, thus, unable to register some of my readers' comments. If you wish to know more about Jong, I ask that you contact his mother Bingbing who also lives in your village, or my nieces who used to hang out with him. I can give you their phone numbers if you wish.

Anyway, thanks for writing in and yes, the entire Filipino nation forgives you for the fashion faux pas of the Presidentita which are not of your doing. Hehehe. However, knowing that you are her wardrobe adviser, fashion consultant, and stylist and seeing her photographed in several horrendous outfits, it is inevitable that you will get blamed. I would resign the job if I were in your shoes, since it certainly does not add to your market value at all being associated with a fashion victim. Hahaha! As my mother always likes to say, money can't buy you class (nor good taste, I may add).

Sorry, I know the Macapagal family is close to the Zapantas but truly, with all the problems this country is suffering from, the public should at least have an escape by being able to look forward to a fashionable head of state sana. I mean, look at how we Filipinos let the Marcoses stay on for such a horrific length of time? Ang gandah kasi ng Lola Imelda! Hahaha!

In fairness to you though, the Presidentita's ternos and Maria Clara outfits are really pretty and I'm glad that she has brought back these traditional Filipina dresses into the presidential wardrobe. I could never understand why Tita Cory banned the terno from her presidential closet just because Lola Imelda wore it so fabulously. (But how true is it that GMA got two for one by being Ninang to someone's wedding, thus incensing the bride's father because he had to pay for both? One of those allegedly ended up on the Sona stage. Oops!)

Btw, pls. tell your boss to get a new makeup artist if she already doesn't have one. I'm no fashion plate either but at least I know how to blend my foundation. (See GMA's photo a few entries down below.) Joskopooo!

This is not! These long coats make her look even smaller. (Photo from China Daily)

Seriously though, I am glad that Joanne is among the very few who defies the stereotype of the fashion model. She is no dumbina this woman, having graduated cum laude from UP Creative Writing (tadaaah!) and having been able to reinvent herself as a photographer, columnist, and philantrophist. I've always known her to be "just" a fashion model (as if that weren't a difficult job as it is), looking pretty and glamourous in all those beautiful outfits by our celebrated fashion designers. Most of all I remember her for her creamy white flawless complexion, and no wonder, alagang VMV pala sya!

She reminds me of another former model Gina Leviste who graduated summa cum laude from De La Salle (and also a Kulasa like Joanne) whom the late Bro. Andrew Gonzalez once rued to me was a "disappointment" because of her career choices. I snickered as Bro. Andrew said this. I loved Gina just the same because as an artista, she was funny on TV. She still was a success despite what Bro. Andrew thought. Hmmm...whatever has become of Gina Leviste pala?

Btw, for someone who was so photographed as a model, photos of Joanne are non-existent on the web. I wanted to post one but well, I couldn't find any after googling endlessly. There is a nice piece on her though in HerWord.com.

Hmmm...I wonder what Halloween outfit the Presidentita has on today...