Baby Boomer Pinoy visitors to this site can reminisce what Manila used to look like. Thanks to Rollie, my BFF Josie's friend, for sharing these photos.
MANILA UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
Sidewalks were not extended to suit the pedestrians. Quiapo Church
Avenida Rizal was a treat to everyone. There were no prostitutes nor body-brokers. Avenida was not a fickle place. It was not a “now a bistro boulevard, tomorrow a street; now a tiangge or night market and tomorrow a bistro boulevard”. It was a simple avenida where everyone enjoyed to see what was “now showing”, what movie was “extended showing”, and if Otis or Good Earth had a big sale !!! It was just a big clean place.
Take note, naka-sapatos ang mga tao, walang naka-tsinelas kahit sa Avenida... just sharing... super linis at disciplined ang mga tao - wala pang naka-maong hehehe
LYRIC Theatre (in the photo below), IDEAL, STATE, ODEON were the best theatres. Environment inside and outside ....absolutely clean. There were no double parking allowed and drivers followed. Streets didn’t have 2 policemen and 4 Traffic Aides for each corner. You’d be safe even if you held a clutch bag while shopping. Manholes were covered well and during those days, I remember them....as clean and polished, much like those you’d see in Champ Elysee’. We could beat Paris
Manila was just a beautiful place.
If you’d take an L5 plane or a Piper Cab and take pictures of Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard) from above, you’d be so proud to say, that the place is much better than Cote’ d Azure. Environment was just so very clean, air was refreshing, and take a look at the sea....wasn’t that a gift given to us during those days?!
Avenida Rizal was a treat to everyone. There were no prostitutes nor body-brokers. Avenida was not a fickle place. It was not a “now a bistro boulevard, tomorrow a street; now a tiangge or night market and tomorrow a bistro boulevard”. It was a simple avenida where everyone enjoyed to see what was “now showing”, what movie was “extended showing”, and if Otis or Good Earth had a big sale !!! It was just a big clean place.
Ayala Avenue was just like Wilshire Boulevard. Clean and no pollution. You can walk and enjoy the sun. Napakalinis. Walang masyadong Trash bins pero walang basura sa paligid.
And then, we began to have more technocrats, more intelligent people educated here and.........stateside. What did they do to our environment? Our Country? Our mentality?
Sayang. We saw a country that was much cleaner, a much better place to live in and a truly healthy place but keeping it that way was too good to be true.
Sayang. We saw a country that was much cleaner, a much better place to live in and a truly healthy place but keeping it that way was too good to be true.
