ARANETA CENTER

Location: Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines

Panoramic view of Araneta Center

Araneta Center, like any other district of Metropolitan Manila, is such a busy place, for it has so many establishments on it. Who will not know "Cubao" when it is famous for its Araneta Coliseum. Other than that, this place is the center of entertainment where Art in Island is located

Entrance to the Araneta Center thru Farmers' Plaza Mall from MRT Cubao Station

Getting inside Farmer's Plaza Cubao

The entertainment venue of the Farmer's Plaza Cubao

The interior of Farmer's Plaza Cubao

The imposing Araneta Coliseum at the center

The bridge connecting Farmers Plaza Mall and Gateway Mall trailing along Araneta Coliseum

Part of Art in Island (Picture Credit: Farm Flicker )

The busy Cubao district along Farmer's Plaza

Roads designed with greening consciousness

The 40-storey Vivaldi Residences Tower fronting Aurora Boulevard

Skyscrapers within Araneta Center

Peeping through the facade of the Gateway Mall

An entry to the World-class Gateway Mall

The Oasis Restaurant of Gateway Mall

The Oasis Restaurant - One-of-a-Kind Floating Garden Open to the Sky

SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF MANAOAG

Location: Manaoag, Pangasinan, Philippines

The imposing approach of Our Lady of Manaog

It’s my first time to visit this place last February 23, 2016 when coming from San Fernando City of La Union where I applied for a passport, I decided to disembarked from the bus I was boarding in Binalonan of Pangasinan, a crosssing leading to the town of Manaoag for another 30 minutes.

Truly a basilica in appearance

I have been hearing a lot of testimonies from some pilgrims known to me personally for a decade already but I found no binding factor then to pursue visiting it. But personally, I really wanted to have my pilgrimage to this basilica. And this moment was its realization.

My souvenir photo in the facade of the church

Based on the accounts published by the Wikipedia, The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag is located on top of a hill in the town also called Manaoag where it has been canonically affiliated with the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome since June 2011. The parish encompassing Manaoag and the surrounding towns is administered by the Order of Preachers under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. It was officially declared a Basilica on February 17, 2015.

The basilica's interior

In addition to that, Wikipedia, published some historical facts about the church where some of the earliest miracles attributed to Our Lady of Manaoag, including the original apparition, are depicted in the murals in the church.

The basilica's altar

It has been further cited in this same source that in the early days of the Spanish era, animist mountain tribes burnt down newly-Christianised villages. The town of Manaoag was among the settlements that were burnt by the raiders, sending the locals fleeing to the thatch-roofed church. The pillagers's leader climbed over the church compound's crude fence and shot flaming arrows at all parts of the church, but the building miraculously did not catch fire.

Another angle shot of the church's interior

Furthermore, this same archive compiled that during the Second World War, enemy Japanese forces dropped several bombs within the church's vicinity. The structure was only moderately damaged. Four bombs were released above the church, with three landing on the plaza and the façade, destroying both. The last bomb fell into the sanctuary, but miraculously did not explode.



Another angle shot of the church's interior

For those who wanted to stay overnight in the place, affordable accommodations are available in the vicinity. The town itself is a progressive one that establishments which cater services to the tourists abounds like the fastfood chains (Jollibee and Chowking) just across the street. There are banks with ATM machines.

Regular bus trips (Dagupan Bus Liner) from Manila to Manaoag and vice versa is accessible to the pilgrims and tourists alike where its last trip coming from the place to Manila is at 8:00 P.M. costing P314 for one way as of this writing. While I reached the place at 5:00 P.M. coming from Binalonan, I was able to attend its 5:00 P.M. mass and the last mass is at 7:00 P.M.

VENICE GRAND CANAL MALL

Location: McKinley Hill, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Phillippines

The newly built Venice Grand Canal

This newest mall with an attraction of architectural design inspired from the Venice Canal of Italy is now operating with a few shops and restaurants for picks of guests and tourists. Even if it just opened, hundreds of visitors and tourists are now crowding the mall most particularly in capturing its picturesque grand canal where gondolas for hire will give a delight to visitors.

The other end of the grand canal

I was checking some blogs to get some facts about it but most of the posts provided no significant information. And so, I have to rely with my first hand experience on how I reached the place.

Capturing a better view from the bridge

I was with my colleague, Allan Revilla De la Trinidad (shown on the above picture) and my eldest sister when I visited the place and we really find it difficult to capture a nice angle shot as people are crowding everywhere. I am thinking of visiting the place again during weekdays to get more shots with less people around.







Taken from the second level of the mall

An inset park in the mall

There are more fine dining restaurants in the mall but a couple or three are fastfoods with standard prices same in other locations like KFC. I just noticed that not all shops are opened yet. Some parts of the mall are still being worked for its completion.

Venice Piazza - the Mall's Facade

Gondola rides along the grand canal just opened last February 13, 2016 and this will only operate during Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 to 11:00 P.M. for P500 per person. A gondola ride in the evening is even better as lights can help the camera capture best results. It can be more romantic and serene as background music will also be aired all along the place.

A wide angle picture of Venice Grandcanal Mall

To know which restaurant will you dine while in the mall, click this link and see what restaurant will you prefer to dine in case you became hungry after an exhausting stroll in the mall.

Taking a rest after being worn out from my stroll

Venice Grandcanal Mall at Night (Photo Credit: Costas Images)

HOW TO GET THERE

My Personal Option

For me who just resorted to public transportation, I went there through a jeepney ride from my condo unit at City Residences at the back of Jose Rizal University (JRU) taking Hulo Jeepney Route for P7 only and dropped at the boat terminal just after Makati Bridge. Took a motor boat for a minute ride just to cross to the other end of Poblacion, Makati City. Took a jeepney again and lifted near Gate 1 for P7 and took another jeepney to Market Market for P7. From the Market Market, look for the Jeepney Terminal of Gate 3 for P7 and walk down the street maybe three long blocks away.

Another Option

You may find this link useful in visiting this place. After reaching Market Market, look for the Jeepney Terminal of Gate 3 for P7 and walk down the street maybe three long blocks away.

SERENDRA SHOPPING MALL

Location: Between 11th Avenue and McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines

Serendra is one of the prime residential projects of Ayala Land, Inc. which is a 12-hectare garden community with European architecture style derived from Tegel Harbor and Germany Berliner Strasse master plans combined with the stone style house or bahay na bato architecture of the Philippines.

Fountains in the garden park in the vicinity of the mall

Serendra provides a gracious suburban lifestyle within the conveniences of the city. From Nicaraguan Jasmine trees, flowering trellises filled with thunbergia, swaying bamboo clusters to ponds filled with koi, Serendra provides a unique garden environment that provides the spirit with an overwhelming sense of calm. And within this private enclave, residents are able to enjoy exclusive amenities such as a dedicated spa, underground badminton, and basketball courts, multiple swimming pools, gyms, and many others.(Wikipedia)

The mall on its splendid European architectural design

The mall itself is a one-stop shop since banks and other financial establishments are housed on it. Tourists find the place as a place of refuge when they want to enjoy its calm ambiance. It was conceptualized in such a way that plants and trees helps to balance its parameter of ecosystem.

Just one of the fine dining restaurants of the mall

Restaurants in this area may come with many choices serving different kinds of local and foreign dishes. It can be observed that most of the people to be seen here are foreigners where some of them work in some of the offices located in BGC.

The stairs leading to the basement carpark

HOW TO GET THERE

You may find this link useful in visiting this place.

A CONVENIENT ROUTE TO MAKATI CITY

Location: Pasig River, Brgy. Hulo, Mandaluyong City and Poblacion, Makati City

Nightscape at this Pasig River Boat Crossing

This may not be a tourist spot but I was amazed to know that there is a short cut routes from Mandaluyong to Makati City without passing through the traffic jammed Edsa. Aside from minimizing the fare cost, it also helps to save time for those commuting from Mandaluyong to Makati City.

This Pasig River boat port as captured during the day

I do reside in Mandaluyong City and the jeep travel with a route of Hulo which passes through our residence near Jose Rizal University (JRU) Shaw Boulevard Campus is so accessible to me and this public utility jeep drops me right there in the boat terminal Hulo-Mandaluyong side. It is so convenient and I only pay P7 for the jeepney for one way.

The motor service boat

The boat has barely five minutes interval as it only accommodates around 28 passengers for P4.00 one way and the trip is barely a minute to cross to the other end of the river bank.

The enticing riverscape at night with the skyscrapers at the background

MARQUEE MALL

Location: 2135 Aniceto Gueco Street corner NLEX, Barangay Pulung Maragul, Angeles City, 2009 Pampanga, Philippines

I happened to visit MarQuee Mall last February 22, 2016 for the purpose of an application for passport renewal which is housed in the mall at DFA Angeles Extension Office. DFA means Department of Foreign Affairs. However, I only got an appointment for the passport renewal on March 15, 2016 which is such a remote date. Since this is situated in Angeles City, I had the opportunity to tour around the city after I filed my passport appointment. The city has really undergone a massive progress and development compared to the time when I had it visited in 2001.

Establishments near the area of the mall's Cinema section

MarQuee Mall is a 3-floor 9.3 hectare real estate development owned and operated by the North Beacon Commercial Corporation which is a 100% subsidiary company of Ayala Land with a gross floor area of 140,000 square meters. It was opened on September 23, 2009. It opens daily from 10:00 A.M. and closes at 9:00 P.M.

The Activity Area of MarQuee Mall

On the other hand, Angeles City is a first class city of the province of Pampanga, Philippines just 16 kilometers away from the capital city of San Fernando with a land area of 60.27 square kilometers and 82.8 kilometers from Manila. It also has the SM Angeles and a few malls around the city. Under normal traffic conditions, the city can be reached for barely two hours from Manila. As of this writing, I paid a bus fare of P139 (airconditioned) from MarQuee bus terminal to Cubao.

DFA Angeles Extension Office

With over 450 shops and restaurants, one may not be bored strolling around the mall. After I was given my passport appointment date and time, I was hungry then which was at 12:45 Noon and I dined in my favorite Kenny Rogers Restaurant. There are a lot of restaurants to dine with but Kenny Rogers has the meal packages close to my heart and culinary taste.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

After taking my lunch, I took a walk and reached out to visit the mall's Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help which is located on its third floor just the same level of its DFA Extension Office to offer few prayers.

The mall's inviting benches along its spacious lobby

Ayala Land has its reputation of building malls keeping its reputation for lucrative and highly attractive interior and architectural design - a reason for mallers to visit and enjoy its malls spread over the Phililppines.

The mall's Cinema Section

Since it was my firs time to be in this mall and it was still early, I watched in one of its four cinema houses the movie titled "The Choice" top billed by Teresa Palmer as Gabby and Benjamin Walker as Travis.

Creatively designed mall's interior

It's worth to take a walk inside the mall as you will see that a cosmopolitan lifestyle that the metropolitan Manila's malls can offer is also available for the shoppers and mallers in Angeles City which is already a provincial location.

The MarQuee Residences

As I stepped out from the mall, I saw another landmark --- the MarQuee Residences. This residential complex is composed of two towers rising towers of 8- and 14-storey structures which is an integrated community just a few minutes walk from the MarQuee Mall developed by Alveo of the Ayala Land. MarQuee Residences was inaugurated in June 2014.