I can't stress enough the importance of letting kids roam free on natural settings. My god, they…read moreneed trees, fresh air, flowers, sunlight! I know that parents these days are afraid of so many things out there -humans, mosquitoes, the air but there are places where you can brings your kids to...(enter abrupt segue to Camp Ikapudi) yes, Camp Ikapudi! Here you can let your kids run around, play with ducks, actually touch insects and roll on the grass. I wish more parents would realize why bringing their kids to the mall would only encourage consumerism and materialism. I know we don't have a lot of accessible green spaces but it takes a little effort to reach places like Camp Ikapudi or the Sta. Elena Fun Farm. Both places albeit far from each other were both made for a single cause: to bring kids back to nature.

Ii do not understand the logic to charge Foreigners more than locals…read more Americans walked alongside Filipinos suffered like they did died and were executed the same way by the Japanese It cost is more to visit as usual it the foreign tax in Ph I went throughout Asia only does this fee exist in PH. I was blessed and felt honoured to visit this memorable site that is a important part of US military history along with Filipino history. The museum has important part of the WW 2 that covers some of the attocities commited by the Japanese that led to war crimes being charged against them. I learned a lot that caused me to go to the Capas momument and also look at movies and do research on the Bataan Death March. I definitly recommend visiting this moument.

Found atop the mountain of the 20th kilometer mark of the Bataan Death March is a large cross…read moremarking this National Historic Monument. This was the site of one the most vicious battles during the last days the American and Philippine forces attempt to hold off the Japanese invaders. I spent the day touring the lower peninsula of Bataan. I envisioned the area as one great battlefield, similar to that of Gettysburg. Battles upon battles were won and lost which eventually led to the full surrender of the American and Philippine forces as they found themselves trapped in Bataan peninsula surrounded by the Japanese. Today sits a monument describing some of the battles and providing a glimpse of the significance of that loss. It marked the beginning of Japanese occupation and the end of American presence in the south Pacific. There's a museum that shows a history of the war in the Pacific. It does not filter the atrocities that took place during the war. I highly recommend if you ever have the opportunity to make it this far. Spend extra time in the museum and absorb everything it has to offer. This place holds a great significance in my family history. Having a Grand Father that was the first Americans stationed in the Philippines under T. Roosevelt 1st Cavalry. A father who was part of the American Forces fighting side by side with the Filipino guerrillas and an uncle, a survivor of the Bataan Death March. I was struck with awe at the sight of this place. Seeing firsthand and combining that with the stories I had heard of the war growing up from the very people that lived it. It was enough to bring me to tears.

THIS is the most awesome statue of Andres Bonifacio in existence. Not the one in Monumento (A…read moretravesty, really), and not the one in front of the National Post Office. THIS. I am totally in love with the raw energy, the fierceness, the drama of this monument. Not content to showcase Bonifacio standing, they show him charging into action, ready to fight, ready to sacrifice his life for the country as he actually did (Though not at the hands of the enemy, but this is not the time for that discussion). If you angle your shot at just the right spot, you can actually depict Bonifacio attacking Manila City Hall. It's an incredible shot that may or may not be representative of whatever.

The City of Manila and Manilenos love Andres Bonifacio, placing him on a pedestal practically at…read morepar with National Hero Jose P. Rizal. This is with good reason. Bonifacio was founder of the movement known as the Katipunan, which waged a revolution against Spain in the 1890s. It is one of Philippine history's greatest tragedies that Bonifacio became a victim of the very revolution he started, being assassinated by the men of Emilio Aguinaldo after the revolutionary forces split into two factions. Today, the nationalist and Leftist movements consider Bonifacio a national hero. He is their symbol as well as rallying point in their modern day war against oppression. Bonifacio Day is celebrated as a national holiday and the most important shrine to the revolutionary from Tondo is the Kartilya ng Katipunan shrine in Liwasang Bonifacio. No less than National Artist Ed Castrillo created this metal and wood sculpture. The plaza in front is often used for different events, from political rallies to city fairs. Above it all stands the mighty Bonifacio, wielding his bolo and rallying his men to fight the better equipped Spaniards.

I have to admit, I was very surprised by what I saw when I came here. Initially I figured it would…read morebe completely historical with stone fortifications, but instead there's an actual city with restaurants and homes. Must be pretty cool living within history, there's also an amazing view from top of the walls.

Intramuros has endured wars, calamities and foreign invaders and yet this 64-hectare stone city…read morestill stands as strong as it first did 400 hundred years ago. How could it live through such a beating? Clearly, there was so much more to these massive stone walls than its impeccable engineering. Everybody has a lot to say about this citadel, its squatters and scammers but it's the only window to our past and even if we try to look away, we will always come home to it. It's the heart our city, the last breathing structure that has escaped the commercialization of Manila. And while all of us will go on, the undead will remain on its streets guarding the last memory of the Philippine's colonial past.

RCBC Plaza is one of my favorite buildings in Makati. It's 14 years old, but it doesn't look a day…read moreover 5. It's a huge skyscraper office complex with 2 towers. It's always busy and milling with people but it always feels airy, open but elegant. There's always a sense of grandeur somehow when you walk through the doors, which is fitting because RCBC Plaza is home to many big companies and embassies like the Canadian Embassy, German Embassy, Australian Embassy, the South African Embassy and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. The Yuchengco Institute for Advanced Studies also operates here; this is where De La Salle University - Manila offers its MBA courses. I used to work at RCBC Plaza and two of the things I liked the best are the nicely done elevators and the hot pan de sal I can get from Pan de Manila when it's breaktime. Aside from these, they also have a lot of amenities that are top notch. They have a 7 level parking basement which surprisingly gets filled up most days, especially during rush hour. There's also a Fitness First Platinum here, a food court, a used bookshop, restaurants and a convenience store. Sometimes, there are plays which are held at the 450 seat Carlos Romulo Auditorium. It's a great place to work!

I wanted to check out Binondo, the oldest Chinatown in the world. We got picked up by a rideshare…read moredriver. He was a pretty cool guy. Luckily we got matched with a good driver and for the duration of the trip he was our personal tour guide pointing out interesting places. The ride was $5. I learned early on, on our vacation, that rideshare trips are really affordable in the Philippines. If we did the same route distance in Seattle, the trip would have been 40 bucks. We crossed the Jones Bridge into Binondo. It was a surreal experience driving across a bridge with European-style architecture. A bridge named after an American. Then driving under a massive Chinatown Arch. That's a lot of history to unpack. After our visit to Binondo we requested another rideshare trip. We drove across the Jones Bridge again. This time I took note of the ornamental railings and ornate lamp posts reminiscent of the lamp posts on the Pont Alexandre III in Paris. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to walk along the Pasig River Esplanade which is connected to the Jones Bridge. The promenade is like the Berges de Seine, also in Paris. I'll have to visit the Pasig River Esplanade on my next trip to the PI. It looks like a pretty popular place.

Jones Bridge is a Manila landmark, first built over a hundred years ago and then reconstructed…read moreafter World War II. It's one of the prettiest parts of the city, with a long walkway--the Pasig Esplanade--lined with shops and eateries lining the adjacent area along the Pasig River. We were there at the wrong hours for this, but it apparently gets quite lively with foot traffic and street vendors. The bridge connects Binondo and Intramuros, two of the most tourist-friendly parts of the city. I ended up there twice during a five-day trip to Manila, and it was a definite highlight, with nice views of the city, even if the waters of the Pasig are not exactly crystalline blue. The neoclassical architecture was attractive with a touch of Euro kitsch, with black iron street lamps and little sculptures of people carrying shot glass-shaped candle holders. I didn't spend much time at Jones Bridge, but it was a lovely place to walk, and I'm sure it's fun when the vendors are out. Certainly worth a visit if you're traveling through Manila.

Historical and the place is properly maintained.The Shrine is notable where the flag of the…read morePhilippines was flown. The Shrine grounds is popular for bazaars, flea market and zumba during weekend.

The place was very historical.even the park you see the historical of kawit cavite,and when the…read morelights start in the part it was amazing

The Bonifacio Monument in Liwasang Bonifacio in the Philippines' capital city of Manila pays…read morefitting tribute to one of the greatest Filipinos who ever lived. Here was a man born of a poor family from Tondo who rebelled against the Spanish had occupied the Philippines for three centuries. He brought together his small group of fellow rebels who wanted the islands to become one republic. History books still have many gaping holes where Bonifacio is concerned. Even the house where he was born is debatable. Some historians have sought to rewrite history by saying he was not really as poor as originally believed, that he was actually of a lower middle class family. His role as the true first president of the First Republic has also been largely unappreciated, perhaps because he had the position all too briefly before the camp of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo removed him from the post. But there is one thing that cannot be denied. Andres Bonifacio was the founder of the Katipunan, which waged a fierce war of independence against Spain, and succeeded, only to have the Americans enter the picture as the super power of the 20th century. By then, Bonifacio had been assassinated by Aguinaldo's men. Still, the image is firmly embedded in the Filipino psyche. Bonifacio was a true warrior, a giant among men. He is celebrated as the man who set the stage for the creation of the Republic of the Philippines.

When I want to buy local souvenirs, I usually go to Kultura Filipino or to Filipiniana. Both are…read morelocated in Makati, close to my place. And both offer all the traditional symbols of the Philippines - barong tagalogs, pinneaple fiber clothes and table runners, t-shirts, Mother Pearl picture frames, pearl and coral jewelry and so on. I particularly prefer Kultura Filipino, because I have the feeling it's better served. Actually I think the store is bigger. Anyway, I prefer it. But when I don't want to cross Glorietta to get to the SM building, I go to Filipiniana, inside The Landmark. I highly recommend it for those times you have to buy a gift for a foreigner friend or buy some souvenirs to your family when you go back home on vacations.

If you're a foreigner or balikbayan looking for authentic and inexpensive Filipino souvenirs and…read moregoods, you have to stop by the Filipiniana section of Landmark. The large section is dedication just for Filipino crafts, products and food and I love how you have so many options to choose from. I'm not a foreigner or a balikbayan and I'm not looking for souvenirs but I do love going around this section and buying things. I love being a Filipino and I'm certainly proud of our skills, talents, culture and food. In this part of the department store, you'll find any kind of souvenir you want. It's basically a one-stop-shop. You can find gorgeous handmade and local artisan crafted furniture, home accessories, jewelry, clothes, traditional costumes and even yummy Filipino food snacks like peanut brittle and the famous dried mangoes! I always bring my foreign friends and family members from the States to this store and they always buy so many things and come out of the store happy and satisfied.