Cybercaptain: Manila

Nice airport

Having come off for leave I had a few days in Italy before it was time to repack my luggage and head for Nice airport and embark my first leg to Heathrow. There I had an overnight layover and luckily managed to get myself to the departure terminal and find an airport hotel there onsite to kip until morning. It actually worked pretty well.

Heathrow

In Heathrow I then flew to Hong Kong and quickly changed planes for Manila. The layover was so short so I just managed to walk from one plane to the security check and over to the other and off we went. I was a bit worried if we'd be late I might've missed this flight but it all worked out.

Hong Kong

In Manila Chenok picked me up and we checked into Red Door in Binondo that is effectively the Chinatown of Manila. Apparently the oldest Chinatown outside China. We had some red tape to go through so we stayed a few days and roamed the Chinatown, locals call it the Binondo crawl due to the many restaurants there. We had dinner at Chuan Kee that is as per them the oldest fast food restaurant in the area, next to it is the Eng Bee Tin patisserie shop that I had no space to try out.

Chinatown gate

Chinatown

Eng Bee Tin shop, Chinatown

Chuan Kee fastfood shop

Chinatown entrance

Closed Seiko shop

Lighted up plaza in Binondo

Almost next to Manila city hall was the National museum and entrance was free so we went there quickly as our appointment was not ready and just as we had seen a couple of paintings we got a message to come so we had to cut the visit short and hurry back to see our bureaucrat.

National museum

Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz

Seiko Stellux shop

Traffic

Chinatown

Old bank building, emergency exit

I also did a bit of detective work and tracked the street corners of the 1948 built Sta Cruz bldg on Escolta street where the back then known downtown watch center had been in the 1950's (see pic below). The building stood there until a few years ago and had also been included in the Heritage act 2009 as important cultural property. Apparently it had gone into disuse over the years, then been shuttered up and residents & advocacy groups had campaigned for the restoration of the building. Then a fire occurred in Oct 2019, either caused by squatters or cynically guessing the would be developers. Subsequently there was an earthquake in 2021 that did part of the demolition and so the National Historical Commission permitted total demolition due to safety reasons but urged that the new building would follow the old facade in order to preserve the memory. Looking at the design I think the architect did not get this memo. Anyway, cities always evolve and developers are always keen to tear down old and build new for the profit, this happens everywhere.

1950's Seiko shop (credit: American Geographical Society)

I went on the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and took a few shots across the road where this building used to be. Here is a link to a reel of the building.

Today where the Sta Cruz bldg used to be

The replacement building

Old Google earth view that is now updated

Binondo seemed to be littered by many old buildings that had survived the 2nd WW Manila destruction. Some of them were shuttered up and awaiting their fate.