A Kaleidoscope of Manila

Manila, Philippines

Aug 21, 2026

A sprawling city where slick neighborhoods jostle with far humbler ones. Some of the areas are unsavory enough that every local I spoke with told me not to wander around with a camera and to not even take the LRT mass transit. My hackles lay dormant for the most part but I heeded their advice, erring on the side of caution.

Every street has a maze of overhead power lines the likes of which I have seen nowhere else.

Another Manila original are the jeepneys. Originally contructed from US military jeeps left behind after WWII, these travel on set routes and are a popular mode of travel. Just as original are the motorbikes fitted with a side car – a close cousin of the tuk-tuk, these and mototaxis whizz around town burrowing their way through lanes of traffic.

Built by the Spanish in the 16^th century CE, Intramuros is the oldest neighborhood of Manila. I did my tourist duty and wandered through it. The grid of streets is lined with renovated graceful buildings now home to some government departments or galleries, restaurants and shops.

One of the most visited is the Casa Manila, built in the 1980s. A hodgepodge of several buildings, this was meant to serve as a model of the home of the affluent citizen during the Spanish era. Pretty with its red-tiled roof, it seems to be the primary locale for selfie-takers and I beat a hasty retreat.

Predictably, there are churches here, the San Agustin and the Manila Cathedral the most prominent.

Edging onto the river is Fort Santiago with its moss-laden walls, landscaped gardens and largely forlorn air. This too seems a favorite spot for tiktok videos and photographs in Spanish regalia. Built in the 16^th century by the Spaniards, this had a more recent role in WWII. Its dungeons are said to have played host to many a gory tale but they are closed now.

My random wanderings take me to a beautifully renovated building with tribal arts. I spy wooden replicas of bulul, the protector that is placed on rice fields in northern Luzon. The Austronesian migration coming out of Taiwan, crossed the Batanes islands of Philippines and moved south to Luzon and the bulul figures are a part of their culture.