I've always thought of random parking lots or big spaces with walls all graffiti-ed up as something…read morelike a movie set. You know, a place where a really hot chick will dance hip-hop or random cool gang fights between super sexy dudes. For some skaters, it's the perfect venue to play, practice and perfect their tricks. I didn't know if these kinds of places existed until I found out about Concrete Jungle Skate Park. Located at the strip of Felix Avenue in Pasig, Concrete Jungle is a venue where skaters meet up and well, skate. I got the chance to see the place myself when I did a segment on skateboarding before and one of our choice subjects who was a pro skater suggested we shoot there. Just seeing the park is enough to make me feel like I'm part of some movie. The gate, the walls with graffiti, and the unfinished structures - it was all just so cool to see. Enough gushing about the place, though. The real reason I want to talk about it is how well skaters use this place. The skate park was a hit because of how big the space is. They also have bars and planks for skaters to practice their tricks on. The best part is, the skate park is open to everyone - no fees, no nothing! If you're a photographer needing a dose of urban Manila, a skater who wants a new space to conquer, a producer looking for a really hip location or a random person who wants instagram-worthy photos, check out Concrete Jungle Skate Park.

While we always go to Tagaytay - both planned and unplanned. We would pass Nuvali on our way up and…read moresometimes stop over when we're hungry. I've seen the 'Wakepark' signs but didn't really know where it is, maybe because I wasn't looking hard enough. Or I just have just looked it up online to see the map. My friends took me to go Republic Wakepark because it's their recreational activity, to get away from the stress that living in the Metro brings, well, also school. And it's something that's fun to experience together as a group (individually if we're being specific but you get what I'm saying). I love these types of things because I know everyone gets tired of doing the same old thing and with Nuvali being about an hour or less drive away from Metro Manila, it's the perfect thing to do. If you don't think it's for you and you're being invited to come along then you can always go and stay at the bar or at the pool, take pictures and hang out.

This is the main hangout space for my friends whenever we come back to Manila from studying abroad…read more The employees are very accommodating and are very helpful in teaching you how to wakeboard. It is in a great location and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves water sports within the South area. However, the rentals for boards are quite expensive and are very limited to only a couple of boards if you have grown out of the slip-on boards. The food service takes quite awhile for you to get your food. Putting that aside, this is a place that I would highly recommend anyone to come to for a day mainly just for the awesome facility to wakeboard. It's also best to go during the weekdays early in the morning so that you can get the most out of your buck, or else you would be in line for quite awhile as that takes up your riding time. Night boarding on the weekends are also enjoyable and are less crowded than during the day based on my experience from going.

My best friend got married here. I thought he proposed too early but I guess I just acted like a…read morejealous friend. I didn't want the fun times to end, not when I was still single and "out there". He and I would always surf together and the reality was it was not going to be like that any longer. Marriages destroy friendships because it's supposed to, especially if the friendship is between a man and a woman. So on the day of his wedding, I made my way to Paco Church and watched as their union came to be and in an instant, my negativity turned into pure happiness for the two. There was something about the church - the trees, the cobblestone steps, the mossy walls, the aged pathways, it somehow had an effect on me and by the time I had left the church, I was already imagining being a ninang to their future child and the 4 of us surfing together in our homebreak.

This is a perfect place for budding photographers who want to explore their creativity. This old…read morecemetery where Dr. Jose Rizal was once buried has a lot of good spots for portrait photography. Some photographers actually use this vintage place for prenuptial photography. If you are a photographer and you consider this place for your next location for your client, make sure to have the right permit for your purpose. The permit can be requested at their office that can be found near the entrance. I cannot remember how much is the permit to do pictorial there right now. However if you're only taking photos of your friends and anything that is not profitable, you only need to pay for the minimum entrance fee.

As a student of Ateneo, I barely have the time to chill and relax because of how requirements keep…read morepiling up on me. Most of the time I just stay in the library to study for an exam or to finish a presentation for one of my classes. With all the responsibilities I have to deal with, there are times that I just wish I could relax in one of the really nice places in campus to temporarily relieve myself of stress. One of those places is the Zen Garden. Ateneo Zen Garden is based on the Japanese rock garden. It is a stylized landscape that uses small rocks, bushes, gravel, and sand to recreate an image of a peaceful and calming symbolic garden. At first, I didn't really appreciate it because a lot of students stay there during lunch time and sometimes, organizations would use it for their activities. But when I was finally able to view it without the people and the noise, I realized that the Zen Garden can actually make you feel a sense of inner peace (WOW DEEP).

The Zen Garden of the Loyola Schools will always have a special place in my heart. Being a graduate…read moreof Ateneo, i have some fond memories of this place where i would walk everyday to get from one class to the next. It is also where some of my toughest days in college took place as i joined group study sessions with my classmates. The Zen Garden, for me, is a trademark of Ateneo's dedication to molding their students and giving them the utopian society that taught us how to value rules and policies which keep our surroundings clean and green. It is also meant for their students to value reflection and discernment when facing challenges or simply contemplating your existence and purpose. Zen Garden is one of the many places in Ateneo where students seek refuge as they face daily challenges. This is where they get to spend time with their friends and have conversations with some of the brightest minds of today's youth.

This is one of the nice but not-so-well-known places in UP - I'm not even sure all UP students know…read morethis place. I found out about this through a friend, and we went there when, on a whim, we walked from the Acad Oval to Sarah's, the popular drinking place in UP. When my friend mentioned "bonsai," I imagined tiny, delicate, and perfectly sculpted plants. But when we went there I was pleasantly surprised to see that the bonsai here was huge (well, compared with the image I had in mind, at least - you know, the tiny tree with statues and other ornaments beneath it), as they are usually waist-length in height or taller. But yes, the bonsais here are perfectly trimmed and look like small trees. Yes, the place is open to the public and the people there are nice, but it might be tricky to find, so ask the people in the neighborhood in case. Last I went there, they also had other kinds of plants for sale.

I've recently been playing this game called Cities: Skylines, and one of the most interesting parts…read moreof its gameplay is the crazy high requirement for parks and gardens in the city. Without a park on every other block, the land value and happiness of my citizens drops, making it less desireable to tourists and new residents. It's a toll on my budget, but I wish that things were like that in real life as well. You won't find a garden or park on every other block in Metro Manila; in fact, really nice public gardens are deemed notworthy given their rarity. One of the best gardens in the city is the UP Bonsai Garden, which displays all sorts of beautiful miniature trees from Mr. Modesto Manglicmot. The garden is open to anyone, and it's quite unique due to the number and quality of the bonsai on display. Anyone with a green thumb--or just an appreciation for plants or art--should make this a stop if you're ever in the area.

My 2 and a half year old daughter calls this the My Little Pony playground because it's vast enough…read morefor her to pretend she's Apple Jack or Rainbow Dash. There is a large green space with trees lined about so she can pretend there's a forest. The playground features a kiddie gym with slides and a bridge. She can play on it for hours thinking it's a castle. There are also a few other playground sets surrounding the gym and feature seesaws, rocking horses/trucks, smaller slide sets and a pair of swings. The place also has a basketball court in the back, clean bathrooms because of the rentable clubhouse and well yeah, a clubhouse you can rent for parties. The park is also fairly empty except in the late afternoons but it's never as chaotic as the one in Salcedo. There's a mini grocery nearby and a branch of Becky's Kitchen so you can grab juice and brownies after a tiring afternoon of playing.

My daughter and I have been spending a lot of time in Valle Verde 1 since my boyfriend moved into…read morethe neighborhood. The park is one of the things my daughter and I love about the move because of the playground. Situated in the middle of greenery, the playground features padded flooring and a nice jungle gym set. My daughter loves the slides and the rope bridge. At first, she was hesitant to cross it because the spaces between the ropes were too big for her little toddler feet. She started out by crawling across, then she got more confident and started walking on it. Me and my mommy milestones! *tear* There are a number of parent-child or yaya-child tandems that hang out here, too. It usually doesn't fill up until around 2 or 3 pm, but coming by earlier isn't too hot as well because of all the trees that shade the playground. Aside from that, there are jogging and biking paths around the park. The main function hall, which can be split into two smaller areas or opened up to become one big room, is located by the driveway. It seems like there's a birthday that happens there every weekend so if you plan to rent the place out, make a reservation well ahead of time. Sunday masses are also held here. There's a basketball, tennis, and badminton court on the premises as well. There's a convenience store, a tutorial center, laundry service, and a Metrobank ATM, too. The convenience store closes at around 8 pm, from my observation.

This humble park sits in the heart of Ortigas' business center, and no doubt pretty popular for…read morehumans "native" to the area. But it was more than just a park to me (or to my friends). We had a lot of crazy memories here. Most notable would be one summer night when we got kicked out of my friend's house...after having a noisy marathon of Supernatural and pigging out on home-made tacos (gee, if I was the man of the house, I would've kick out the crazy kids outside my room too!) Anyway, we packed up our food, the huge grocery bag of chips and drinks and dips and headed off to--you guessed it--Ortigas Park! We actually looked like hobos having picnic outside the surrounding upscale foodplaces, which is kinda embarrassing, but not one of us gave a shizzle. And who would've thought having a picnic there is allowed? The guards patrolling the area were giving us weirded-out looks but not one told us to get the party out. Perhaps because we had our own trash bags? Hey, we love the environment! It was a funny night, until it rained, and we all have to move to Strata for shelter and eventually back to the condo. Ortigas park isn't just fun at evenings, though. I love staying there during mornings too! In my lonesome, I chill here with a sketchpad to brainstorm on new dresses. The daylight just brings out my spirit all the time, and if I'm feeling for some coffee, I will just hop right in Coffee Bean. I wish Ortigas Park will remain essentially the same, and not built-on, somehow. Because that would totally suck. It's one of the few parks that holds a dear place in my heart!

Oritgas Park is slightly less "extravagant" and quite smaller than other parks in highly urban…read moreareas, like Ayala Triangle Gardens. There's not that many people there, there's fewer trees, and the only establishments are the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf there, unless you wanna walk towards Ortigas Jr Road and their assortment of Fast Food Restaurants. But that's exactly why I love it. When it comes to parks, I like quiet ones. Ones with fewer people, where I could sit with some coffee and listen to some music. And that's exactly why Ortigas Park is probably the park for me. I absolutely love looking at the waterfall, the ambiance of the wooden benches, and basically how completely quiet the place is during the night time. It's also a really solid study/work spot for me. I've written 3000 words on one of those Coffee Bean tables before. If you like quieter places, then I suggest Ortigas Park!

I used to run a lot, and then life happened, and now I'm a bum. Luckily, I live near UP and I could…read morewalk there, which can serve as my warm up before I do a round or two around Sunken Garden. PROS: It's not a garden at all, but it is a sunken field. UP legend says it sinks a few inches every year because of the mosh pit and rocking and jumping that occurs during the UP Fair; Traffic's one way so it makes it safer for pedestrians crossing the road. Also, there's a bike lane and jogging path which people who attempt to get fit like me (and those who are legitimately fit already. WEYW.) can frequently use; Start at the Oblation in front of Quezon Hall as your inspiration to look better naked as you begin your run. Then, you see the breathtaking acacia trees lining Sunken and it does look like a leafy tunnel. CONS: Pets and skateboards are not allowed, according to the signs. But I still see the occasional pooches which I am always tempted to pet; I'M SORRY I COUNTERFLOW WHEN I RUN! Yes, I even make eye contact with those coming past me. It's just that if I run in the same direction as the cars and jeeps like everyone, the smoke from the vehicles hit me smack on the face. By the time you reach Vinzons where all the jeepneys are, it gets hard to breathe so I'd rather run against the tide of people and vehicles. If you happen to see me, and you have to run around me as I pummel towards you, I apologize in advance. TL;DR: I can exercise without having to pay anything! Also a good place with relatively clean air for general tambay and walks.

You can take the probinsyana dog out of the province, but you can't take the province out of the…read moreprobinsyana dog. Born and raised in the boondocks of Misamis Oriental, I had to take my poor Storm to the big city so she can see a proper vet. She was literally fresh off the boat and was missing the green, green grass of home terribly so we decided to take her to UP Sunken Garden. After a gruelling two-hour cab ride where Storm was literally shaking in fear (so many metal beasts!), we finally got to UP, where there were free-range grass and tall trees for miles around. I could see my little doggy tear up at the sight of all the green, and she wasted no time running around and taking it all in (translation: she started peeing all over the place, claiming the entire garden as her territory). It took a lot of coaxing and passionate promises of regular trips to her new kingdom to get her into a cab and back to the concrete jungle of Makati, but at least she had her day of fun. Here's to more days of fun in her doggy future.

In a country where there are more Condominiums and malls every 5 Kilometers, I'm glad that Ortigas…read moreand Company, the developer of Capitol Commons built a park between Estancia Mall and Royalton Condominium. The people walking around with their dogs, some are jogging at night. These things are just refreshing to see in the heart of a very busy business place in Pasig City. It just relaxes me after a long day when I roam around the area, just watching and sitting on the benches observing people (not the creepy type) especially their pets. I hope to bring my dogs here next time.

The new Capitol Commons park is a welcome oasis in the middle of the otherwise greenery-barren…read moreOrtigas. It offers respite to urban-dwellers who need a break from the city, to jog, play with their children (to make up for the sprawling home lawns that the city cannot provide), walk their dogs, or just chill out. It is busiest during the mornings for health enthusiasts, and then at night for that, and everything else. Just across the street is Estancia -- a new mall and development so fresh that only less than half of it is open. Although, it shows much promise, with the array of high-end retail stores and up-and-coming restaurant concepts that it offers. Parallel to the park are also other restaurants, which are great for families, but, for the most part, better as after-work and weekend watering holes for groups of friends.

This is a safe place for children to play in. There are a handful of major parks in the Makati area…read morethat are great for children, among my favorites is Salcedo Park. On Saturdays, they hold the weekend market right beside it so you can spend a little time shopping and a few hours playing with your kid. I love their playground area because they use high-quality materials - none of those dangerous stainless steel slides that rust over time. They use fiberglass and plastic materials for most of their play areas. The flooring along the play area also uses cork material so even if kids fall or tumble, they are relatively safe. Then there's the wide area for grass and lush trees where you could have a nice little family picnic with your Salcedo Market purchases, just bring a blanket and you can have a great family weekend.

Perhaps it is because I grew up in the city and during the 90s, but I appreciate a good park. Not…read morethat I had a ton of parks around me growing up (back then we didn't need any), but because of the value that it offers today. You don't see young children running around and playing on the streets anymore. You don't see their parents hanging around them while they play. You don't have too many places in the city to enjoy fresh air, the outdoors, and what little greenery it has. The Salcedo Park provides all of these things. A visit on a Saturday afternoon will be nostalgic and heartwarming, more than anything. Its playground is a great place for children to be active, and to socialize. It may be good for adults also, as a convenient and refreshing workout spot outside of the gym.