Poblacion's Semana Santa Preparations (Circa Last April)

A splendidly painted backdrop by the samahang Alpha Spirits.

Before being dubbed "Williamsburgos", Poblacion was often referred to as "Old Makati" (the way we refer to Escolta and etc. as "Old Manila"), with its centuries-old church, wet market, and old homes. I was delighted to find out, rather belatedly, that Semana Santa or Holy Week in Poblacion is a super big deal not just for its residents but for devotees from all over the metropolis, who make their way here each year to view and participate in the procession and pabasa. I am fascinated by it all, but am actually late to the game of appreciating religious celebrations, so I hope you forgive me if I have inaccuracies or incomplete information.

Each neighborhood is loosely organized into a samahan (association) that builds and manages a kubol (literally, a kind of temporary shelter or booth) each with its own unique religious statue (or two). The kubol is actually a tableau that is to be part of the kalbaryo, a procession narrating Jesus' journey of suffering up until his crucifixion and burial. You will find constructed scenery of differing quality, sometimes just a single printed tarp as background, other times, an elaborate, perya-horror-house levels.

Everybody gathers around to watch the kubol construction.

The kubol is also the site of a kind of marathon pabasa–literally a "reading" of the pasyon, Jesus' life and suffering rendered into Philippine epic narrative form. It is generally read from a book and sung to some tunes commonly used for the purpose (most are played over speakers in MIDI form). The pabasa is activated on Holy Wedesnday (when a procession places a crucifix in each kubol) and ends on Good Friday. I heard that our local parish priest had called out in a disparaging manner that some people use recordings of the pasyon instead of actually singing or reciting it. Interesting how a syncretic element has become something of importance to the Church institution itself!

The pasyon "songbook". The text at the bottom states: "The path of the Lord is the path of love".

In the days leading up to Holy Wednesday, a fiesta-like atmosphere prevails. Streets are closed off, residents loiter around both the construction of the kubol and the decorations of carriages that will ferry the statues around during Holy Friday procession. But even before either the processions or pabasa begin, some casual drinking and loafing occurs at the newly "opened up" chunks of public space. There are always opinions being flung around about this floral arrangement or the color of some faux rocks.

Solicitations also abound at this time for things like construction materials, official samahan t-shirts, and refreshments for devotees burning the midnight oil at the pabasa. Our local samahan promised, in exchange for our donation, unli-coffee and the privilege to hang around anytime. And because Holy Week this year came right before the mid-term elections, mayoral and konsehal candidates topped the handwritten lists of donations that hung at almost every kubol, a soft form of campaigning achieved by donating around Php500-Php2,500.

Failed mayoral candidate Jun-Jun Binay tops this list of donors.

Kamuning Branches for a Kalbaryo

A week before Semana Santa or Holy Week this year, a couple of men began pruning our neighbor's kamuning (orange jessamine) shrub. I stepped out to "salvage" some fragrant flowers and have a chat with them. I learned that every year they prune the tree free of charge, using the hardy citrus-like foliage to dress up their neighborhood kalbaryo in Mandalauyong.

Kamuning branches.

Abandoned nest.

I also got some kamuning fruit.

Sidewalk Loafing

A food vending couple takes a break on a Manila sidewalk.

Ambulant Clam Vendor

A dude claimed to be selling abalones and scallops from San Narciso, Quezon. He hyped us up so hard that I forgot for a moment how actual abalones looked, and that scallop shells are, well, scalloped.

We ended up buying some "just for the experience" (I don't even eat the stuff, but I made abalone porridge with the non-abalones), and the guy shuffled away to his Korean restaurant suki. I suppose they are well aware what these clams are. I will update this post if I get to identify them.

Despite the misinformation, I am nonetheless pleased at this free agent making his way through our urban capillaries and hawking rural goods.

"Abalone" and "scallops". Check that wooden carrying stick though.

Cool how the net bag bunches up when he pulls the string to hang it back up!

In Gentrifying Poblacion

Yep, I'm still here.

When I first moved to Poblacion three years ago, everything felt exciting. It was gritty, which I like. I know, I know. I was probably part of the initial wave of gentrifiers to settle in.

People have gone from raising their eyebrows at me (and saying a small prayer for my safety and wellbeing) to asking me to give them "Poblacion food tours". And I still enjoy living here, but am riding this emotionally confusing wave of being able to walk to a good cafe, seeing many friends all the time, dodging cars of youthful Instagrammers on their way to whatever loud party of the night, and witnessing old (admittedly mostly crappy) structures give way to nondescript buildings. With the zoning laws of Poblacion just revised to accommodate buildings above five floors, everyone is cashing in. It makes money sense to build and then wait until this last patch of neighborhood gets devoured by Rockwellesque development or the dormant glossiness of the Century Mall area.

Nonetheless, I'm still immensely grateful for / endlessly entertained by living in a non-gated, relatively safe, walkable area in Manila (a rarity) which still gets together to build its neighborhood float for the Holy Week fiesta. The religious icons used are passed down among "old" families and lent to the neighborhood folk for decoration and parading. Some are more than a hundred years old!

Also, our barangay marching band is unparalleled, probably because we do have loads of fiestas. One was supposed to happen today on the Pasig river, but was cancelled due to an abundance of water hyacinths.

Neighbors deciding what flowers to put on the float. 

More flowers.

Our street float, with La Casita Mercedes in the background.

Frankenchair

At the Poblacion market, a rocking chair frame with an office chair body. Lhazybhoi?

Fishy Ferments, Makati Streetside

Since moving out of the periurbs and into the real-urbs, I've seen a greater level of spontaneous industry. The density of people here allows for more itinerant vendors and sidewalk enterprises.

Along my walk to Makati Avenue is a sometimes-stall selling dubiously colored Pangasinense bagoong and vinegar by takal (which roughly translates into scoop), measured out into very thin plastic bags.

A business built around migrant appreciation of regional food.

The pink colorant seeks to mimic the hue of tiny shrimp. No one gets it right.

An accessible dash of umami or sourness.

Mountain Dew Neon Bottles on Trees

"Mountain Dew Neon Bottles on Trees" is a definite theme of my walkings-around recently. Many neon things appall me, including these plastic bottles, but the way people tie them onto trees is fascinating. Apparently, they don't light up or anything, but provide a soft glowing effect. The bottles are driving sales in India and Thailand.

In Poblacion, Makati.

Also in Poblacion, Makati.

Kid Drawings

Random chalk drawings by kids around Makati. Every kid should have chalk.

Mermaid.

Dangling earrings.

Fun in Gate Fabrication

Every once in awhile, you see a gate or fence that is really rad (like these and these). After all, the cost of making something run-of-the-mill is often not too much less than if you apply a bit of personal touch. Luckily for us, gates here are hardly pre-fabricated, as lot entrance sizes are extremely variable, at least while the real estate market has not yet become completely (appallingly) homogenized.

An orphanage of sorts, somewhere in Muntinlupa.

Take this bunch of happy, armless children, making things look very cool but also there to give integrity to the flat sheet metal. I would maim for this gate, which I believe is the gate to an orphanage. Constraints in welding materials and economy make such "best effort" attempts at human form acceptable and admirable, kind of like weaves that have geometric animals or people that make us go "oh wow".

Urban Drying of Semi-Unidentified Plant Matter

Note: The eschewing of iThings (for the most part) has led me back to using a camera. I really enjoy the freedom of not having a device to charge all the time, as well as having a ghetto phone verging on analogue that lasts for three to five days without charging. I feel like I have part of my sense of the present back. Having the internet all the time had me bookmarking thousands of things (mostly about food and plants and stuff that I tend to rabbit-hole about in a bad way).

This blog will be used now for both garden and street and whatnot posts. I'm a grown woman now, with my many responsibilities and indulgences. I have chosen to retain, as of those indulgences, understanding and enjoying this world through documentation.

Cut stem on a piece of cardboard.

Sunny spaces for drying plant matter and mops out.

Urban drying of a branch (or a false trunk). Likely banana, but maybe other thing. Purpose unknown. Always nice thing to see plant use in urban areas. This is a Pasig warehouse, where many of the workers are migrants. We have a lot of migrants to thank for the persistence of interfacing with plants, against environmental odds.

Manila, Ornamentation / Protection

In Chinatown, the fire brigade's container office bears that spiderweb thing.

The world is a marginally nicer place because of patterns in protective wrought iron or concrete (or even wooden) grills. Less fancy urban areas employ more geometric, simple (cheaper) designs, but gated communities are not immune to this modern-day necessity. In fact, probably the only areas devoid of grillwork are located in the super rural, wooden-tungkod-window realm. These are some examples from the city of Manila.

Diamond patterns on a wrought iron grill protecting a wearhouse.

Concrete grills as a vertical accent for a fire escape?

Diagonal patterns on wrought iron grills protecting a personal storage extension.

Pretty scalloping on wrought iron window grills (with a provision for fire escape?).

Salon Towel Drying

A salon in Chinatown drying towels in the sun.

A Vendor and His Signs

A stylized male underwear price board, made with scrap paper and a marker..

I hear it gets boring sitting around all day waiting for people to buy your wares. I've also been told that if you're going to do something, might as well do it well.

Vendor and ornamentation enthusiast.

Working to fill dead time and attract customers.

A coinpurse price sign, covered in plastic. Note the soft shading between letters and as numbers' shadowing.

 

Urban Headpack Potential Evidence

Fake LV doormats and whatnot in Paranaque.

Crates of unidentifiable merchandise in Divisoria.

Don't say I didn't tip you off about headpacks. The method is indeed more physically efficient, but still socially awkward-- I carried 12 kilos of coffee on my head last month, and didn't break a sweat (but drew a lot of stares).

A Barber's Pangontra

This barber, who cuts hair inside a carwash, was from Samar and used to be a barber at the Hyatt. We got to talking about his rings. He wears them as pangontra or to protect him from evil spirits and kulam (curses).

One ring was crudely cast from bronze and purchased in Quiapo after he fell victim to a jealous neighbor's ill wishes (it's always about a jealous neighbor, I notice).

Apparently, bronze and gold can keep you protected. This was one of the reasons why old folks in Samar would put gold in their teeth.

 

Crate Bench

The physics all work out for this bench made of old fruit crate pallets. I had a little rest on it.

More crate reuse, as a crib and tables.

PS- I'm trying larger photos out.

Bottle-Pole Improvisations

A Pop Cola bottle serves as a pole to wind a rope around, for securing an out-of-service rain-cover tarp.

Bike Attachments: Bamboo

Improvisations on bikes to accomodate extra baggage (people, merchandise, appliances to be sold at junk shops) are fairly common. This particular one is made of bamboo.