Tag : Manila
Well composed photos for your social networking sites should go with creative hashtags. One way of getting around flooding your timeline with series of getaway photos is to group them with hashtags. Like putting a caption, labeling hashtags is a daunting task too. Don’t worry now because here’s a list of more than a hundred […]
There were times as I wandered in other parts of Asia, I could also find the Philippines fitting in the picture. And vice versa – the countries, where I have been, were also remembered in some of our own spots. The following captures from my lens are either in contrast or complementary. I am presenting […]
Churches in the country are most of the time included in the itineraries. It is because rich history can be found on most communities that started around these churches. These communities are still evident and present. And for two years, I’ve visited some of them for the first time. And everyone knows the drill when […]
Time and time again, we have confirmed through blog posts we read that true love can be found while traveling. It is not a fairy tale anymore even in modern times. Surely you’re not the damsel in distress waiting to be saved because you’re the type who conquers the world instead through travels. So why […]
Like flowers planted in the middle of the asphalt road, this contingent from Zamboanga showcased their own Hermosa festival through streetdancing in Aliwan Fiesta in 2013. Dubbed as the Festival of all Philippine Festivals, this vibrant event is where the best provinces in the Philippines vie for prestige in three competition categories, the cultural street dance, the float parade, and a beauty contest named as Reyna ng Aliwan. Participants parade their respective prides in the long stretch of Roxas Boulevard starting from Quirino Grandstand and culminating at Aliw Theater, owned by the main organizer Manila Broadcasting Company. For years, the Philippines Grandest Fiesta gives the grand winner in streetdancing PhP 1 Million.
How To Get There
As early as mid-noon, more than a dozen of contingents are already preparing for the competition at the grounds of Quirino Grandstand. You can already feel the vibe as you walk from the U.N. Avenue LRT-1 Station to Rizal Park until you reach the first venue of the program. Since it is also a parade more than a competition, you can witness the shortened street dance performance, the competing floats and the contestants of the beauty contest along the Roxas Blvd in the comfort of your personal space. You can also check in Aliw Theater grounds. However, the first group to perform will only arrive hours after they performed from Quirino Grandstand. The improvised bleachers aren’t enough for a large group of spectators. Also, the grounds in Aliw Theater are not covered compared to the former.
How Did I Get There
It’s a choice between getting a good seat in front of the performance stage of the competing provinces or taking a good photographs of the participants in full costume. Even I wasn’t able to catch a full performance of a group in Quirino Grandstand or outside Aliw Theater, triggering shutter buttons for and with the kids and the students is more enjoyable. Seemingly exhausted, they still have the unbelievable drive to continue and to win the competition. I just wish these kids, who had flewn all the way from Visayas and Mindanao, would still have their time for fun (maybe a visit in Star City nearby) after the competition.
Braving Basco, Batanes is the first of the Because Beautiful Batanes series. Getting to Batanes used to be a luxury when the regular roundtrip tickets via SkyJet costed around PhP 20,000. So when I learned in 2013 that PAL Express, which was Airphil Express then, is having a direct flight to Basco, I’d waited for […]