BACLARAN BY NIGHT

Was crossing the overpass on Baclaran when I noticed that there were no vendors! This is impossible! A miracle! (okay, stop it already!) Anyway, this emboldened me to whip out my small camera instead take a photo of a quiet Baclaran highway at midnight. The first photo leads towards South of Manila - Las Piñas, Cavite, Tagaytay, Sucat, Muntinlupa. There used to be a community of DVD vendors on the sidewalk (yellow light side) but when MMDA decided to remove the Muslim community squatting on the empty land beside the highway, the vendors disappeared as well. Instead, they moved to the church side hence the busy look of the opposite side of the road.

This one leads to the north - Pasay, Manila and beyond.

Be it day or night, vendors and shops continue to make a killing in Baclaran. A 24-hour market, so to speak. Restaurants abound on this side and those fronting the Baclaran Church, the national shrine for Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE AT NIGHT

Was waiting for a bus home when I noticed the warm lights coming from the Manila Central Post Office's fountain. It changes from green to yellow to hot pink adding life to the stoic facade of the building. This place is always full of people because FX and bus rides to Las Piñas, Sucat, Alabang and other places south of Manila all come from this area.

It is sad, however, to see the squalor that has slowly returned to Liwasang Bonifacio, the park fronting the Post Office. Several of the swings and huts already have entire families living in them. Several parts of the park have lost its grass cover and floods during light rains. Some of the statues of Ifugaos have lost legs and arms. Some are already totally broken. I hope that authorities take a second look at this place because good money was spent in sprucing it up during Atienza's time.

By the way, anybody out there who knows what happened to the original four (4) globes that acted as this place's fountains before?

BAYWALK FROM AFAR

Manila's baywalk as seen from the CCP grounds.