Sad to say all your contact numbers are just ringing, WALA PONG SUMASAGOT SA LAHAT NG PUBLSIHED…read moreNUBERS NYO EXCEPT BARANGAY PROGRESO...I need to follow up payment for training conducted last week of October...sabi sa Treasury ...a SJ City Ha ll me employee gave a number which again sad to say...WALA PON NASAGOT! hope your improve this aspect of your service

I have had too many bad experiences in different city halls (QC, Makati and Mandaluyong, to be…read morespecific) so I was extremely surprised when I arrived at the San Juan City Hall. The city hall can easily been seen from Pinaglabanan Street. It is also not difficult to park here since there is ample space provided for vehicles. Since they had just moved to this location, everything looks clean and new. The facade alone already looks welcoming and inviting. Upon entering, there is a reception desk with 2-3 employees ready to assist those who approach them. The lady I spoke to quickly directed me to the windows I needed to go to. I love how the building is well-lit and airy. It did not feel cramped or dirty like other city halls. They also have specific windows with proper numbers and labels for specific needs (i.e. a specific window for getting your cedula, another window for property tax, another window for barangay clearance, etc.). Another plus is that you can pay for what you need at that specific window. No need to go to a centralized cashier and go back to the previous window. This saved me so much time! I went there to get my cedula (CTC) and to pay property tax and I was out of there in 15 minutes! Their staff were efficient and did not dare ask for any money beyond what I had to pay for. (BIG disapointment in other city halls!!!) Another big plus for them was their well-kept restrooms. I have never been to a government office with an extremely clean restroom. ;) Kudos to their janitors who maintain them! I was so thrilled with my experience here that I no longer dread having to go back after a year for my annual errands. I really hope they maintain this and act as a model for other city halls as well.

One of the main reasons why I visit the Guadalupe Nuevo Barangay Hall and Sports Complex is to…read moreaccompany my mother-in-law when she gets her Certificate of Registration every year or when she applies for Barangay Clearance and other important paperwork related to her senior citizen's privilege card. This multi-storey barangay hall may not be newly renovated, but it's surely clean and well-maintained. The topmost part of the building is used for meetings and events. The area can be rented by residents of the barangay to hold parties and meetings. At the back of the barangay hall is a big sports complex that's typically used for summer basketball and volleyball tournaments. The covered sports area is also the default venue for inter-barangay competitions at various times. Apart from tournaments, the area can also hold proms, concerts, intramurals, and other important activities by the local church or nearby schools. Anybody can rent the multi-purpose hall for a fee. Our company rented the sports complex as venue for our team's sports fest several years ago.

It's not the first station of the Light Rail Transit, but the second. Yet there have been many…read moreoccasions when I got a ride at the LRT and was actually able to be seated. This is saying a lot because while the LRT and the MRT are both overseen by the Dept of Transportation and Communications, the LRT is better managed. As proof, while the MRT is the newer of the two, it has also met with more accidents and is presently operating less coaches because of insufficient maintenance. Most commuters don't really care about the politics behind the running of the rail services of Metro Manila. All they care about is being able to get a ride and getting to their destinations as quickly as possible. This is why I appreciate the nameless men and women running the LRT. They've been able to keep the oldest mass rail system in the metropolis running fairly efficiently, if not smoothly. The fare was raised slightly not too long ago. Many complained about this, but as a somewhat regular commuter I understand the need for revenues to keep the system going. What I do not understand is why the MRT is in such bad shape, while the LRT Line 1 is still chugging along nicely. And at the Pasay Rotonda station where I usually get on board, being able to get a seat every once in a while is an added plus.

Nice and a unique historical site to visit and learn. Quite big and on the river front with couple…read morebuildings. Cost for entrance are cheap but long line to get it. Short distance to the plaza de Roma and other attraction places.

This is a fort in Manila Philippines although I have been there multiple times I have never been…read morehere. Disclaimer here, I have a long and semi obsessive history with well history. I loved this, we didn't have a tour guide (if they even have any) we went all over and then finally went into this museum which does have a charge to enter. You can't wear any hats inside as a sign of respect. Also if you are over 6 ft (183 cm) be prepared to squat, twist bump most parts of your body as this was built for Philippinoes a long time ago ie: short. If you can take this part of it then you will definitely enjoy it or at least learn something new. Well I would say try it and learn from history. Enjoy.

During my college days, I had field work where a lot of the schools I had to go to was located in…read moreManila. It's one of the places that's a bit scary for me because I'm not very familiar with area. My classmates and I would usually take the LRT and it was pretty efficient. PROS: This LRT is the oldest among the MRT and LRT 2. I could even remember riding it once as a kid when it still used tokens that you drop in the turnstile so you could ride the train. And it still wasn't air conditioned then, so you could say that this railway system have been through a lot of developments. CONS: It's still crowded, but lines aren't as long nor trains as jam-packed as MRT's; LRT's stations are usually located in a lot of Manila's scary and shady places (looking at you, Monumento) so it makes me hug my bag and hold on to my phone/wallet tighter. TL;DR: If you frequent places near this train's many stations, like DLSU or Manila Doctors Hospital, LRT may be a good way to get there. But make sure to watch your stuff.

Oh God forbid you actually have business to transact inside Manila City Hall. May he have mercy on…read moreyour soul should you do. No, this building is on this list because, like it or not, it's a heritage building. Yes, it's not the prettiest one. In fact, if you look at a aerial shot of Manila City Hall, it looks like a coffin with a cross on top. I'm not kidding. Go check it out on Google Maps. This review isn't going anywhere. To be fair to Manila City hall, it does have that pretty and iconic clock tower. I also love the fact that they've spent good money to light it up at night, because it really, REALLY does make a world of difference.

I have encountered and gotten to know friendly and efficient people in the office of the mayor. God…read morebless them for the assistance they provided us. I will not be able to say the same for all employees of the city hall, but suffice it to say that efficiency is a two-way street. Something can be done to achieve the kind of service we deserve and I hope that one day I will get to experience this more as a rule rather than as an exception. During my first time in the city hall, I was fascinated with the exhibit of the past mayors of the city in the middle of the second floor, right before the entrance of the office of the mayor. It's nice to have a bit of a history lesson while waiting for your meeting. I bet many of us Manilans are not familiar with the personalities who led Manila. The small exhibit, with portraits, the period of mayorship, and a gist of the accomplishments under each leadership, would help acquaint Manilans and visitors alike.

At the junction where Jose Syquia meets M. Roxas in Sta Ana, Manila is a pleasant little patch of…read moregreenery that residents simply refer to as the plaza park. Today, the rotonda-cum-park is protected by steel bars. It wasn't always so. There was a time when it was as open as any park, but the protective barriers may have been placed to protect the kids whom parents take there. The place is also a favorite hang out of the teenagers of the area, as well as couples holding hands and dreaming of their future. Not too long ago, there were even nipa huts placed there, but these have since been removed. The residents of Sta Ana consider the park one of their safe spots, so the local barangay patrols the area frequently to make sure that it remains free of criminal elements. It may be small but it's certainly better than nothing. I noticed that Sta Ana has a number of high rise condos being erected, which means that there will be more and more residents in the not too distant future. Hopefully, those new condos will have their own parks. The longtime residents of Sta Ana deserve a place they can call their own, and this park is one of them.

The Foreign Service Institute holds a special place in my heart. For one, I very nearly spent my…read moreinternship days here. Two, some of my old professors and college classmates now work here. And three, this is where I go when I need training that no one else offers: how to be an effective Filipino diplomat. I usually deal with the FSI's special operations, which is tasked to create specialized training programs for the national government. The last time I worked with them, it was in preparation for the APEC Ministerial meetings. The FSI trained my colleagues and I how to be effective diplomats in the face of Cabinet-level representatives from governments all over the world. It was a great experience.