" The Lady and the Skull "

while this isn't my alma mater,
It is an institution that is considered to be one of the well known
universities here in the Phils.
and while I wish I have an inkling as regards to what this statue symbolizes,
the skull below the figure pretty much ( I think ) means that it has something to do with human body and medicine.

This is the UP College of Medicine established since 1905.

One of the halls is dedicated to an obstetrician doctor named Dr. Fernando Calderon.

Visit the school's main website if you wish to know more about it.
and more of Doctor Calderon's history at this site. ^0^
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" He's a macho "

Does he look familiar?
Maybe to some. ^0^



Yes, that's our pound for pound ultimate champion boxer Mr. Manny Pacquiao, or Congressman P. for that matter.
In a leisure park here in Pasay, stands his fearless statue.
Sculpted by Fred Baldemor.




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" Carlos P. Romulo "

Standing amidst the crowd, along roxas blvd and almost in front of a hotel,
upright while raising its right hand is a statue of this friendly looking figure.
But like any monuments, we only have a vague idea of him.

An excerpt from this site answers.com .

"Carlos P. Romulo (1899-1985) was an author and the foremost diplomat of the Philippines. He was the only Filipino journalist to win the Pulitzer Prize and the first Asian to serve as president of the UN General Assembly (1949).
He also gained prominence as America's most trusted Asian spokesman."


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" Roman Ongpin "

The statue of Roman Ongpin stands right at the heart of Chinatown and beside Binondo Church.
Known for being a patriot and a philanthropist.
Roman Ongpin was a true Manileno at heart.
Born on February 28, 1847.
He joined a lot of propaganda, fighting for the rights of Filipinos.
He was jailed for conspiracy during the war between the Spaniards and the Americans,
but was also released after.
He became the president for Casa Asilo de Invalidos, La proteccion de la Infancia
and Gota de leche to name a few.
He died on the 10th of Decembre 1912.



and finally in 1915, a street was named after him as Ongpin. st. here in Binondo.
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" San Lorenzo Ruiz "

who is Lorenzo Ruiz ?



He's a well-loved patron saint and a martyr,
the first to be canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987 and
here in Binondo around the circle stands his statue.

Taken from The Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz website :

" San Lorenzo had a Chinese father and Tagalog mother who lived in the Parian district of Manila.
In 1636, Ruiz was implicated in a murder.
He sought help from his Dominican superiors .
Initially, Ruiz thought he was being sent to Taiwan, where he believed his Chinese roots would enable him to start a new life.
Little did he know that he and the missionary expedition led by Fray Domingo Ibanez was actually headed for Nagasaki, Japan, where feudalism was fanning the flames of Christian persecution.
Lorenzo Ruiz was headed straight into the arms of death. "

Beside the statue is also another commemorative monument in remembrance to those patriots who served the country.


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" Andres Bonifacio "

Tall, dark and alone,
stands this monument of Gat Andres Bonifacio,
one of the local heroes alongside Jose Rizal and more.
The statue is placed at the Liwasang Bonifacio Park,
right in front of the Phil. Post Office and the grand fountain.



Here's a quick info about him:

Born and raised in Manila on November 30, 1863,
Andres Bonifacio is a leader of the Philippine Revolution, aka the Katipunan,
A secret society that launches the revolution against Spain in 1896.



A writer of essays, poems and was also the 1st to translate My last Farewell,
written by J. Rizal in Tagalog/Filipino language.

This monument was dedicated by the City of Manila in 1963, the hero's birth centenary and
thus renamed this plaza as Liwasang Bonifacio.



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" Mr. Postman "

One attraction outside the Post Office is this friendly waving statue- Mr. Postman.
Which clearly reminds me of Karen Carpenter's song.
I love how Blossom Flower Girl calls it Mr. Postie too. ^0^



and whatever angle he's posing, he's sure on the go !



There's also a plaque beside the statue that read:

< The Postman
Erected on 15th September 1975.
It represents the thousands of dedicated men and women of the
Philippine Postal Service.

A symbol of service excellence,
It delivers mail that touches the lives of people across the country and
around the world.
Rededicated by the men and women of the Philippine postal service the
6th day of November 2000. >



I think it will be a great idea if they could use it as an official mascot
or a symbol.
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" Queen Isabel II "

a bit of history...



the main statue of Queen Isabel II was originally
unveiled at Plaza Arroceros or what is now called
Central, but was removed and stored in 1868,
and placed in front of Malate Church
until 1970.
It was again moved to this present site
along Magallanes road in 1975 till present.





Opened in 1861, this is the last gate that was built in Intramuros,
( the back of the stature)
It was part of the tranvia ( streetcars ) in the 19th century but
was heavily damaged during the war (the battle of Manila)
and was restored in 1966.
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" Plaza Mexico "

- at the end of Magallanes drive and right along Pasig river, situated in an incongruous spot
stands the plaque of Plaza Mexico.



What used to be an original port of the galleons many years ago.
This monument commemorates the Phil.-Mexican friendship and was installed some 45 years ago by
the late Pres. Macapagal and the former Pres. Adolfo Mateos of Mexico.



Imagine what this place would've been like years ago...^0^
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" Unknown Hero "

and infront of the ruins...
Yet another abandoned Statue along Magallenes drive.
I have no idea who and why it's there,
but it's quite an imposing sitting figure.



Here's a close up look..
notice the bird on its back, I wonder what it signifies?



I had to sharpen this foto or else, it's too dark. ^-^
Somebody needs to do some serious cleaning on this one.
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" National Museum "

I have showed fotos of the National Museum of the Philippines many times already and it never seizes to amaze me its small and grand details.
Like these three figures in the pediment, which hardly anyone notices,
I did try to search for infos about it but nothing came up,
I'm pretty sure it symbolizes something or depicts something of a historical past.



as birds perching on top of the structure,



and a row of Corinthian columns in its ornate details of acanthus leaves.


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" Arsenio Lacson "

This is the other replica of Arsenio Lacson seen along Roxas blvd.
more info :
In 1956, he was named Man of the Year by his peers and was known
as Manila's "Fightingest" mayor. ( as to what fightingest means, i'm not really sure...)
It was in his time that he had re-constructed and re-furbished a lot of Manila's old structure
and edifices, to name a few were the stockyard, the old slaughterhouse, Manila Zoo, Manila General Hospital or now, known as Ospital ng Maynila.

I had to review my old fotos, I took this one a while back but can't seem to remember when.

Note: not to be confused, the man sitted on the left side is an actual human being. ^0^

monochrome entry

melody: Every breath you take - Karen Souza

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" Arsenio Lacson "

There's something quintessential about this foto,
You might have seen it as I've already posted this edifice before ,
However, this is another point of view that's hard to missed,
to catch sundown just as it's about to end.
The silhouette monument on the right commemorates a journalist and politician, who was Arsenio Lacson .

He was mayor during the 60's and an activist during his period.
He had faced several attempts on his life and at the age of 50 and was fatally stricken at a hotel suite while preparing to leave to do his weekly radio and television broadcast.

There's another replica of him, reading a newspaper, i'll post it tommorow.

meanwhile, see more inspiring skies! this friday!

melody: Hey, soul sister -Train

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During fridays this place is always filled with people...
I'm referring to this street named Quiapo.
Walk around and you'll find this monument infront of Quiapo church in Plaza Miranda.
Quiapo church is famous for its Black Nazarene and its rich history.
While, Plaza Miranda marked a significant role in 1971,when Marcos was still the ruler.
During the campaign period, a political party called Liberal declared their
8 senatorial bets who were running for office at that time.
A crowd of not more than 4000 witnessed this event and while the politicains were
on stage, perpetrators throwed two hand grenade bombs, setting off a blast, killing
nine people and injuring more than 95.

This monument was unveiled on August 21, 2002, by our President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
as a commemorative marker infront of Plaza Miranda in honor of the nine innocent civilians
killed during the blast.


see the skies! this friday...
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The reason for this grand monument standing infront of Central road is because of
Andres Bonifacio.- one of our great heroes, a filipino nationalist,
he is one of those who fought hard against the spaniards during the revolution.

The KKK flag which means
Katipunan (Union) is a secret society founded by Bonifacio himself.

This coming November 30,we would be celebrating Bonifacio day, which means it's a Public holiday for us also.
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