"Still, the struggle to reclaim lost charm over goddamned Manila"

"Still, the struggle to reclaim lost charm over goddamned Manila"

(Or the desire for a rooted future against the delusions of a continuing past)

At first, it is worth believing that Manila can be considered as a reflection of the Filipino's state of mind, given its surroundings, of idealistic visions side by side with inconvenient truths, it seems that the Philippines' capital city, and its extension the surrounding cities that composes the metropolitan region, is itself a city of extreme contrasts, and thus can become an intense personal experience: for it can be chaotic and at the same time orderly, dirty and at the same time divine, these contrasts creates a view that one of which is that "if you can't find beauty and poetry in Manila, you will never find it anywhere" paraphrasing Carlos Celdran.

However, to some people, this kind of Manila, including those of its neighbouring cities is plain simple chaotic area that meant to be "cleansed" that is, purged including those of its old charm in favour of modern delusion. For in recent years, seeing old structures, no matter it tries to retain its old charm and relevance, been facing threats two and fro by those who treated those as mere prime lots for structures that according to them as monuments to modernity.

The recently-demolished House of Precast in Escolta 

Sorry for the thoughts for as any other concerned, there are places in Manila that can't just be removed and reduced to memories; and ideally, those who churn thoughts of nostalgia should have the will to express concern than letting it go those that meant to be revitalised in the name of heritage and of bridging both past and present for the future.
And to think that there are dreamers that took seriously in making an idea into reality, this isn't enough: for they need to encourage people from all walks of life to rekindle not just memories, but to help hand in hand in reclaiming lost charms for the years to come.

Obviously it may take years, decades, even centuries to entice people to rekindle and to join in that said quest; for as most rather letting it go for an illusory future, it becomes difficult to encourage people. There may be pages of various sorts spewing out nostalgia, but are they serious in rekindling? Perhaps a few of those who talk about their childhood express hopes that the Manila of theirs, what more of its neighbouring cities should revive their almost lost heritages than letting it forgo in favour of a continuing chaos everyone endures. 


Forgo? Never! Preserve? Better!

Speaking of the quest to rekindle memories of the past, the idea of conserving past edifices has been marred various problems, and most of which hath been engulfed Manila- especially after the recent demolition of the old Meralco building in San Marcelino, the Admiral apartments in Roxas Boulevard, the Arguelles-designed Philippine National Bank at Escolta, and even the Locsin-designed Mandarin Oriental and the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati, to name a few, just to give way to new developments particularly those of high-rise residential buildings.
And because of this, this kind of concern has made some individuals, such as heritage advocate Ivan Man Dy, dare to question authorities esprcially those actions fail to address problems of heritage conservation despite recognising it: Quo Vadis Manila?

For with this kind of expression both shows lament and angst, to tell what the city or even the entire capital region is going to shows how the order, whose idea deals about development, is increasingly becoming rootless cosmopolitan in its perspective. That same order may express some semblance of identitarianism, yet knowing that developers whom the system rubbing elbows to quietly trying to evade if not circumvent orders for their interest-seeking ventures, these made heritage conservationists and others concerned vent aloud their concerns as much as possible in order to make these authorities aware that these prewar or even postwar edifices aren't just structures for chrissakes, but witnesses from a distant past that's full of idealism whilst keeping its rooted charm.
And to think that well-known Mr. Ivan Man Dy, known for conducting regular heritage and history tours in Binondo through his Old Manila Walks, saidth that there are structures that have been constructed such as during the Commonwealth period like the recently-closed "Uy Su Bin Building"; this and more are made it presumed as an Important Cultural Property under Republic Act 10066, that is the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

Uy Su Bin and the recently demolished Philippines Free Press Building
Source: Ivan Man Dy, Google

But despite that said act not all would have saved by its provisions knowing that there are no safeguards to justify its existence, let's just say how about tax incentives, or even tax exceptions alongside substantial funds for its rehabilitation and revival of districts known for its ages-old architecture? Remember,  especially after the case of the old Free Press Building in Avenida Rizal which was built during the American period, that shows no law could ever stop a demolition permit that was issued by the Manila City Hall last October 2018.


Again, the desire to bridge the past and present for the future

As a "ContemporAntiquitarian", seeing a sordid state of heritage especially in a heavily urbanised area reflects the country that "moves on" without any roots. With the fast-changing landscape now dominated by skyscrapers and residential buildings, what more of inherent values that been replaced by crass commercialism and the likes, the issue on heritage has becoming a topic secondarily, if not less-discussed even by those who seriously take interest in social circles be it as actual as a forum or in social media.

the Angela apartments: reduced into a mere fragment of a memory
(source: Ivan Man Dy)

But to think that each and every Filipino hath been studied history, Filipino language and culture, humanities, yet remain aloof in what goes in its surrounding as it favours own consumerist fantasies and for officials, whims coming from those who treat heritage as a doormat if not the desire to fill their pockets with kickbacks, this kind of indifference towards urban renewal is driven by the idea that there are things that are meant to be unnecessary to keep an image especially in the changing times.
And at times they would say that edifices, no matter how significant, can be costly if maintained, and not all would opted to go to an old structure as most chose to look something's new. They would even describe that the structure be bereft of significance as opposed to the so-called "boxed-type, glassy" edifice that according to theirs as "modern", "sleek", "futuristic", anything that outweighs the grandeur of the past and its remarkable structures like El Hogar Filipino.

Urban renewal necessitates decisiveness and clear vision, two things which the present political order in the Philippines obviously lacks off, or worse, opted to disregard thinking that there are assistants who can able to do those duties- and be turned down by the same elected officials thinking about their pockets.
But come to think of this: that in an era when the majority of 'new additions' to every community are parasitic glass boxes, seeing an old edifice is itself a welcome sight indeed. Be it because of its age-old endurance or its sleek style featured, it seems that seeing, what more of entering an old edifice is itself entering history for these edifices witnessed the storms of time, and no matter how its walls collected dirt or grime of years, chances are a concerned would have express the need to revive, bring hope, make it future-proof as any other structure that wishes to be part of the future than letting it wallow on its past till condemned. London did that, so is Paris, Madrid, Shanghai, even Singapore whose old portions of the city been kept well-preserved as part of its identity. So how about Metro Manila then?


"not all dealt seriously that damned word heritage"

However, as said earlier not all dealt seriously that damned word heritage. Of course they studied history and humanities, but did these people from the order treat heritage seriously? Their assistants would have since they are paid to study and offer suggestions to their elected higher-ups; but these higher-ups treated the issue on heritage on the backburner unless they are being pressured by a heritage group especially if an old yet remarkable structure been threatened by demolition.

But come to think of this: as the buildings which surround every community and created memories for its inhabitants created a sense of belonging. And ideally, this matter which became a major issue on heritage should been treated proactively rather than reactive especially if being threatened by demolition and the likes within that affected district.
And from these structures it made architecture as the backdrop to everyone's lives as well as those of communities in a way Perez-Samanillo, Regina, Roman Santos, Monte de Piedad, Calvo, or even the abandoned Plaza Fair created memories over Escolta-Sta Cruz area in Manila. But as time goes by, no matter how remarkable they are this didn't stop from facing threats of unbridled developmental aggression as others favour money over heritage, of being succumbed to the delusions of so-called "modernity" than clinging on identity; perhaps no matter how significant or structurally sound it stood for decades, these rather ended as pile of rubble for another glassy nonsense- and from this, no wonder why these so-called "faceless boxes of modernism" are considered "alienating" and therefore "belong nowhere" all because they exist everywhere.

Anyway, tradition and beauty are fundamentally important to architecture and even urban planning, but not all observed that kind of dictum as there are those who chose to create something that disrupts the orderliness of a district. The beauty that brought about by Locsin, Luna de San Pedro, Arguelles, and others may be recognised, but despite its recognition there are frustrated ones that desired to just simply making them irrelevant, condemned, and thus demolished in order for faceless ones to take place;
and the system? Sadly to say, are the ones who tolerate unless slapped by those whose desire for uphelding heritage forces them to reconsider. Metro Manila may still continue as a reflection of the Filipino mind, and with this kind of existence, sadly to say, that Filipino mind be like confused, if not marred by its delusions.