A group of diplomatic spouses and ladies based in Brunei Darussalam visited Manila on 12-16 November 2012 to explore the city’s old and new attractions.
Accompanied by Madame Maria Tomasa “Mayie” Ochoa, wife of Philippine Ambassador Nestor Z. Ochoa, the 10 visitors consisted of ladies from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Although some members of the group had gone to Manila individually for business, work, and/or shopping, most of them were eager to discover aspects of the city’s culture, couture, crafts, and cuisine.
A Glimpse into Manila’s History
Before the Spaniards colonized the Philippines, a settlement of Tagalogs under Rajah Sulayman had occupied a tongue of land at the mouth of the Pasig River. Sulayman was a Muslim related to the rajahs of Brunei.
It was therefore fitting that their visit included Fort Santiago in Intramuros, the city’s oldest district and historic core.
Known as the Walled City, the original fortified city of Manila was the seat of the Spanish government during the Spanish colonial period. The stone walls had been rebuilt in the late 16th to early 17th century to protect the city from foreign invasions.
Intramuros is also home to the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church, two of the grandest and oldest churches in the city; the cell where national hero Dr. Jose Rizal was detained prior to his execution in 1898; and some of the country’s oldest educational institutions.
Their tour of heritage sites in Manila also included Malacañang Palace, official residence and office of the Philippine President; Rizal Park (“Luneta”), where a monument marks the spot where Jose Rizal had been executed by the Spaniards; and the University of Santo Tomas (UST), the oldest university in Asia and the second university in the world after the Gregorian University in Vatican to be granted the formal title of Pontifical University.
Mrs. Ochoa, herself a UST alumna and former professor at the UST Faculty of Pharmacy, accompanied the ladies to the university’s Museum of Arts and Sciences, a repository of scientific and artistic articles and objets d’art.
The Museum’s collection included works of Filipino masters such as Fernando and Pablo Amorsolo, Carlos Francisco, Vicente Manansala, and Galo Ocampo and items that date back to 1682.
The ladies were also shown the UST main library’s collection of rare books and manuscripts and brought to the university’s Quadricentennial Square, a campus hub featuring classy architecture with an interactive fountain, al fresco sites, and a sculpture by renowned Filipino artist Ramon Orlina.
Manila’s Malls: Asia’s Best Kept Shopping Secret
The group visited some of Manila’s popular shopping districts, which showcase Philippine handicrafts, banana and pineapple fiber outfits, jewelry, and décor.
Members of the group bonded during their shopping trips to Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan; Glorietta, one of the city’s biggest upscale malls, located in the central business district of Makati; Tiendesitas in Pasig; Market! Market! at The Fort; and The Christmas Factory, a specialty store in Sampaloc, Manila for export-quality, Christmas décor, open only during the months of September-December.
Greenhills is popular among locals and foreigners for its more than 2,000 stores, selling electronic gadgets, apparel, fabrics, antiques and memorabilia, and pearls and other jewelry.
Tiendesitas is a shopping complex with 12 pavilions featuring Maranao-inspired architecture. Indigenous materials used in creative ways adorn the 12 “villages”: chemically-treated cogon grass for roof, old kalesa (horse drawn carriage) wheels into chandelier frames to light the restrooms, and hammocks scattered around to allow short breaks amidst frenzied shopping activities.
The complex functions like an “urban retreat” where one can walk around in wide-opened villages.
More than 450 traders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao specializing in merchandise from regions not usually found in mainstream retail outlets exhibit their wares in Tiendesitas’s shopping pavilions.
Part of the thrill of shopping in the stalls in Greenhills and Tiendesitas was the opportunity to practise the art of haggling and clinch a big discount on one’s shopping finds.
Glorietta on the other hand offered a wide array of foreign designer labels and home-grown brands.
A Food Trip
Mrs. Ochoa hosted dinner for the ladies at Abe Restaurant in Serendra, where the group was joined by Brunei’s Ambassador to the Philippines Malai Hajah Halimah Malai Yussof.
Some of the dishes enjoyed by the ladies were sinuteng pusit or baby squid sautéed in olive oil and seasoning; sinigang na bangus (milkfish) belly, a dish with crushed tamarind and sour broth; binukadkad na pla-pla or overgrown tilapia fish, fried until crispy perfect and served with a dipping sauce made of mustard leaves; Gising-Gising (Wake up! Wake up!), spicy chili peppers simmered in coconut milk; bamboo rice, which is mountain rice cooked with shrimps, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots then steamed in a bamboo shell; sikreto ni Maria (Maria’s secret), a native Filipino dessert.
The non-Muslims also had crispy pata (knockout knuckle), deep-fried pork knuckles with soy-vinegar dip.
The ladies likewise had buffet dinner at Makati Shangri-la Hotel’s Circles, where they enjoyed a combination of Asian and Western cuisine.
“We Shall Return”
Despite their short stay, the ladies were able to gain a historical perspective of the city and a renewed sense of appreciation for the teeming metropolis.
Given the interest generated by the said visit, the Philippine Embassy is considering organizing another trip to the Philippines to include destinations outside Manila.
Philippine Ambassador Nestor Z. Ochoa welcomes the growing interest in the Philippines among Bruneians and Brunei-based expatriates.
He said, “tourists can take advantage of affordable air fares to the Philippines and the variety of tourist destinations in different parts of the country.”
“Visitors can choose from natural attractions such as our pristine white-sand beaches; cultural festivals, which are a celebration of life and an expression of our irrepressively festive spirit; and shopping malls, which offer variety and value for money,” he added. END
