Manila Bay
For the last few years I have been visiting MANILA and have always enjoyed going to the Manila Bay area, where you could sit down on the front look out at the sea and relax with drink or eat in any small quaint food outlets.
More important you could have some of the best entertainment in the world by listening to the fantastic performing groups and singers and even comedians.
NOT NOW , because of a dispute over taxes which appears to be political , all the great places have been forced to close down or relocate making Manila bay a complete eyesore.
The area is next to the USA embassy and for the last few years has built up a very good reputation for locals and us visitors for good safe and fun area where all the family can go regardless of your social position or financial position.
Now as I walk along the bay I am greeted by no seats no eateries just a long lonely walk broken only by the beggars that have moved in and the resulting squalor that has followed them.
In no way am I having a go at the homeless. all I say is that upto recently this was a great selling point for Manila and even the country. But now it is a baron waste that has no music, no food ,no life and shows the poverty of the country to all the tourists that use to frequent that area, remember there are many hotels and business’s in that area.
The taxes are years overdue as I understand, but now with a new Mayor wants them and is prepared to sacrifice a living part of Manila to get it.
The Philippine Star
With the closure of establishments at the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing the historic Walled City of Intramuros as an alternative destination for sightseers and Baywalk patrons.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said DOT is working with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim to develop Intramuros as an alternative tourist destination for Manila residents, including those who used to hang out in the Baywalk.
“ I know that peace and order is the primary campaign of Mayor Lim and I really appreciate his efforts of making Intramuros a secured place for tourists,” Durano said.
He said the closure of the various establishments did not affect the arrivals of foreign tourists in Manila although some people – mostly young patrons of Baywalk – are complaining that they have nowhere to go if they want to have some fun.
Durano said Lim has his reasons for closing the commercial establishments at Baywalk “and former mayor Lito Atienza also has his reasons for allowing those as well. It’s just a reality of change in leadership.”
Durano, however, expressed hope that with the closure of Baywalk establishments, other people would try the Intramuros walking tours instead. Mayen Jaymalin
I will miss it!!!!!
Hi John,
This is sad to hear. I’ve never been there in ages but I remember, as a kid, going to the Luneta on Sunday afternoons with my parents (we were in Manila on summer vacations), listening to the orchestra play, having cotton candy. Then, we’d go take a ride on the “motorco” (I think this was short for “motor coach”), a double-decker bus like you have in London, and cruise up and down Roxas Blvd. (then Dewey Blvd.). Those were the days…
I hope they have development plans for this area. It’s a shame to leave it in the state it’s in. Manila Bay is known for its beautiful sunsets so they have to capitalize on that. I suspect the new mayor has plans for this area, let’s see what happens…
Hi John
Thanks for your great blogs, can you or anyone tell me if The Bay View Prince Hotel on Roxas Boulevard is still open?
All the best
Malcolm
That is sad… I think they should develop tourist traffic to both places, the Walled City and Manila Bay. The Walled City will attract those interested in history and Manila Bay will attract those with a propensity for nature and the ambience unique to the place (the bay, the sunset there was a big draw).
Anyway, as you have said, now it’s being replaced by squalor and squatters (ie, the homeless). That should have been foreseen, esp. in the overpopulated city of Manila. Didn’t they already know “nature abhors a vacuum?” ooopps.
Errata:
“the bay, the sunset there was a big draw”….
I meant to say, “the sunset which used to be a big draw.”
Yup, Angie is right… the sunset there at Manila Bay is a favorite among crowds and tourists. I use to say to my friends that whenever I see the sun setting half-way into the horizon, I could imagine it as the bald yellow head of Homer Simpson
This is indeed sad news on the changes being made on baywalk.
If they are going to put all those establishments in Intramuros and make the place the next destination for sightseeing and tourists they better make a damn good job and not destroy/modify anything historical about Intramuros (including the antique look and feel there). I hope they do good, just like an old church area here in SG, Chijmes, where everything (decor, old look and feel, but with the walls painted anew - the only modifications made) was preserved and maintained but houses many bars, mini-shops, restaurants and the likes.
The first time I visited Manila I kept asking my companions, “Where’s Manila Bay, where’s Manila Bay ?” I was more excited to see it and BaGumbayan Field than going to the underpass of Quiapo!
There’s a restaurant along the Boulevard where the kitchen crew serenaded the customers. I hope it pays its taxes and is still there!
Jul,
That reminds me about the witty cleverness of Filipinos. I used to be reminded that if I visit the Philippines, I should check out the bargains at “il du tulle” (or something like that) and that no visit would be complete w/o it.
I said I never heard of it, until someone explained that it is supposedly the “sophisticated” term for “ilalim ng tulay” (what you call the Quiapo underpass). Aren’t there all kinds of merchandise being sold there?
Of course it’s just a play on words and they made it sound French to give the upscale ring to it.
Hi Angie,
I know I’m really dating myself but I don’t care.
As a kid, I remember going to Quiapo, Escolta, (that was the old shopping mecca then - Makati Shopping Center wasn’t developed yet). For some reason, I remember the incandescent lamps over the fruit stalls, the smell of imported fruits (i.e., apples, grapes, oranges, etc.) and smoked fish. Wow, this really brings back a lot of memories. I should go back and visit next time I’m in Manila. It’s just out of the way now and I think it’s too crowded. You really have to plan a day trip for this…
Tina and Angie, Quiapo equals Manila in those days ! I remember I clung tightly to my companions for fear of getting lost. The millstream of people made me dizzy as well ! Those bargain shoes in Escolta, O my, a real ukay-ukay price!!! A real help for a struggling grad student in those days !
I actually heard many good things about Mayor Lim. Used to be a police officer or something. I also heard that this action regarding Roxax blvd is a part of his effort to “clean up” the past, not to deprive tourists of their hangout. So don’t worry, there should be tourist traps springing up on the blvd soon. By the way, I don’t like that place so much. There are so many foreigners, mostly tourists, not expats, drinking with their oh-so-obvious GRO companion(s) du jour. Makes me and my wife unconfortable. Ruins the image of solid expat citizens like me!
Also, all the establishments rob spaces available to locals who just want to stroll without having to pay for F&B. They have to weave in and out and feel like they are unwanted party-crashers. Unfair to them.
Hope they develop the tourist traps in a planned manner, with clean public CR that they don’t have to pay!.
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