Built in 1572, the St. John the Baptist Church is the oldest church in Bulacan. Constructed under the supervision of Augustinian priest Diego Vivar - Ordonez, the church has been a mute witness to the Filipinos' struggle against Spanish, American and Japanese rule. Inside the church is a tunnel that, as legend would have it, was used by priests during the Spanish regime to keep gold, religious statues and ornate jewelry hidden from the sight of treasure hunters. It is the birthplace of Christianity in the province.
The Holy Rosary Seminary was first established as a Casa de Clerigos for the episcopal see of Nueva Caceres sometime in the early part of the 18th century. Later, on March 7, 1793, then Caceres bishop Antonio Orbigo, OFM, transformed it into a Seminario Conciliar de Caceres. Four Years thereafter, it was canonically erected. The seminary was located by the bank of the Bikol River, now Calle Caceres, in downtown Naga. Under Bishop Bernardo de la Concepcion, OFM, (1816-1829). It was transferred close to its present site. The new building was badly damaged by a typhoon in 1855 and again by fire in 1860. Thus, Bishop Francisco Gainza, OP (1862-1879), caused the construction of another building, the present moorish-style structure; he also transferred its administration to the Vincentian fathers. Then in 1925, the seminary came to be known as Seminario del Santissimo Rosario. The seminary has produced 21 bishops, including the first Filipino bishop, Jorge Barlin, and the first Filipino Cardinal to work in the Roman Curia, Jose Cardinal Sanchez. It has richly contributed as well to the national heritage through Jose Ma. Panganiban and Tomas Arejola and 7 of the 15 Bikol Martyrs. On January 29, 1988, the National Historical Institute declared the Holy Rosary Seminary as a National Historical Landmark. Because of its beauty and its significance in the local history of Naga, the National Historical Institute has inscribed the centuries-old Holy Rosary Minor Seminary as a National Historical Landmark
Right inside the seminary is a museum, that houses priceless collections like the vestments used by the bishops of the Diocese of Nueva Caceres. there are Ming Vases, burial jars, old books and stuffs used during masses. The items are all well-kept and preserved.
Because of its beauty and its significance in the local history of Naga, the National Historical Institute has inscribed the centuries-old Holy Rosary Minor Seminary as a National Historical Landmark
The Black Nazarene is a life-sized, dark-colored , wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ held to be miraculous by many people, especially its Filipino devotees. Its original carver is an anonymous Mexican carpenter, and the image was transported by galleon from Mexico. The image is currently enshrined in the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines where novena celebrations are held every Friday throughout the whole year. Roman Catholic tradition holds that the Black Nazarene came from a boat that caught fire, turning it from its original white into black or charred complexion.The Black Nazarene is carried into the streets for procession in a "Caroza" or carriage. The feast of the Most Holy Black Nazarene is celebrated on January 9th while novena masses begin on the first Friday day of the year, in honor of its weekly novena mass held every Friday. Quiapo Church, officially known as Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, is a Roman Catholic church located in the District of Quiapo, Manila, in the Philippines. The church is one of the most popular churches in the country. It is home to the Black Nazarene, a much venerated statue of Jesus Christ which many people believe has miraculous attributes. The church was painted cream after the original Mexican Baroque edifice was burned down in 1928. Also known as St. John the Baptist Parish, the church at present belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila. The current rector is Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, who succeeded Msgr. Josefino Ramirez (the Vicar General of the archdiocese) upon the latter's appointment as rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Maysilo, Mandaluyong City.
Shangri-LaPlazais an upscale shopping mall situated in the Ortigas Center, a business/commercial district in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is surrounded by four streets in the commercial area, namely, Internal Avenue, St. Francis Avenue, Shaw Boulevard and the major highway EDSA. Affectionately called The Shang, this seven-storey structure is also accessible through the Shaw Boulevard MRT Station in the fifth floor which connects it to the Manila Metro Rail Transit System. It is also the only retail arm of Kuok Group of Companies, the owner of the worldwide chain of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. [1]
Zones
The Shang has several anchors and themed areas for the diverse interests of its visitors.
Shangri-laPlaza facade facing Internal Avenue
Garden Food Court - Food stalls at the basement level with a garden theme interiors.
Technohub - Computer and mobile phone shops beside the Garden Food Court.
RustansTower - Located at the EDSA wing, this major anchor features Rustan's Department Store and Supermarket.
Crossings Department Store - In front of Internal Avenue, this major anchor is a department store with another branch in the AyalaCenter.
The Fifth - Located at the fifth floor featuring international and Filipino lifestyle brands.
Streetscape - Al fresco style restaurants line the perimeter of this outdoor area.
Art Plaza - A diverse exhibition of paintings and other masterpieces from local Filipino artisans and other international artists.
Premiere Theatre - The upscale theatre used for private/corporate viewing. It has a capacity of 88 persons and has regular screening when unused or unreserved.[2]
SM City North EDSA is the first SM Supermall operated by SM Prime Holdings, which is the largest retail and mall operator in the Philippines. SM City North Edsa is the largest shopping mall in the Philippines and the third largest shopping mall in the world, having a gross floor area of 460,000 square meters. It is located at the intersection of North Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City, approximately a kilometer west of QuezonCity Hall and 10 kilometres north of Makati City. SM North EDSA's First major tenants are Manels, Jollibee, Ricky Reyes, National Bookstore, French Baker, Sportshouse, McDonald’s, Max's of Manila, Goldilocks Bakeshop, Dimensione, Magic, Ideal Vision, Fabric Warehouse, and Multi time[1].
Construction of SM City North EDSA started in 1983 and opened in 1985. Since then, the shopping mall has undergone several expansions and renovations. It features SM Department Store, The flagship SM Supermarket, a bowling alley, a food court, a SkyGarden, an entertainment stage for events, a 12-cinema complex, a Hypermarket, and 820 specialty shops and restaurants. In 2006, Ayala Malls constructed TriNoma, a shopping mall across North Avenue from SM City North EDSA, and created significant market competition. Currently, the SM mall is undergoing a redevelopment plan that will see the opening of the SkyGarden in 2009, which will increase the mall's floor area from 425,000 m² to 460,000 m², an IMAX theater and other amenities.
The mall attracts almost 4.4 million visitors on weekends, and 1,000,000 to 2,100,000 visitors on weekdays.
The mall has the maximum capacity of 6.6 million people.
History
Back then, the lot that was purchased in 1978 was no better than a vacant swamp remotely located from the center of the metropolis. SM Prime’s chairman, Henry Sy Sr., saw the potential of the place, standing at the crossroad for regional traffic coming to and from the northern provinces of Luzon. Sy took his inspiration to build SM North EDSA from the first few malls built in the U.S., which he thought Filipinos will want to have. Ironically, many thought his plan was ill-timed because the construction of the North EDSA mall happened when divisive political issues were prevalent in the country.
Old Facade of SM City North EDSA
The mall was opened on November 29, 1985, the first mall ever built by SM with a gross floor area of 125,000 square meters. “We had a tough time getting tenants to fill up the place. It was a risky period in our country’s history. So, we opened with only the SM Department Store and another small shop as the mall’s tenants,” said Mrs. Teresita Sy-Coson, Vice Chairperson of SM Investments Corporation. But to everyone’s surprise and those of many skeptics, crowds came and filled the mall. “It was an instant success,” noted Mrs. Sy-Coson.
The mall was then composed of just the main building and outdoor parking areas. As more tenants came in and entertainment concepts were introduced to the mall such as cinemas, SM North EDSA came to be known as one that institutionalized the “one-stop shopping concept” and was the first to introduce “malling” as a pastime in the Philippines. The 5-level carpark, also known as Annex 2 building was built soon after, with the lower ground floor of the building quickly converted into more enclosed mall space. The two-floor annex was built after, expanding the mall's floor area and providing space for a bowling alley and four more movie theaters. The MainBuilding and The Annex was expanded with a Lower Ground Level and the first level of The Carpark Building was converted to a Cyberzone mainly for tech and gadget shops and later on, the MainBuilding added a 3rd level.
The Current Facade of SM City North EDSA
Businesses and real estate thrived where SM North EDSA was built, that over a period of 20 years, it has seen four expansions including The Block which opened in 2006. In July 2006, Annex 3 now better known as The Block at SM City North EDSA was opened featuring the Hypermarket, Toy Kingdom, additional four movie theaters and several shops and restaurants. In February 8, 2007, SM closed the Annex building from the public and later on, demolished for a major renovation of The Annexes. The annex was reopened in December 12, 2008. The Cinema 1 located in The Block was converted to a Digital cinema format. According to studies of large malls in the world by Eastern Connecticut State University, SM City North EDSA was ranked the 6th largest mall in the world in terms of Total GFA (Gross Floor Area) of 331,861 m² and was ranked second largest in the country.
On September 26, 2009, the mall was not spared during the height of Typhoon Ondoy. The entire lower ground floor was flooded for the first time since the mall was built[2].
Buildings
The buildings are interconnected by a footbridge. A footbridge is being constructed to connect "Skydome" to the sidewalk at the back of the mall. Another 200-meter long footbridge is also planned as an exclusive bridge way to SM Developments' ResidentialTowers called The Grass Residences.
Glorietta is a large shopping mall in the Ayala Center in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The mall is owned by the Zobel de Ayala family and its holding company, Ayala Corporation. The mall is divided into five sections (named Glorietta 1–5) and contains many shops and restaurants, as well as cinema screens, a gym, arcades and a large central atrium often used to stage special events. It has an activity center, located at the heart of the mall. It is also integrated between Greenbelt Mall, SM Makati, Rustan's Makati and The Landmark, a department store. AyalaCenter is planning to construct Glorietta 5, which will be located in front of Hotel Intercontinental Manila and beside Rustans Department Store, as part of the AyalaLand's plan of redeveloping Glorietta. The tenants affected by the October 19, 2007 explosion will be given an option to relocate there. [1]
A shot of the central atrium area during an electronics event.
Glorietta was originally a park surrounded by establishments; in fact it was used as a location by Viva Films for its youth-oriented movie Hotshots. But in the early 1990s the Zobel De Ayala family decided to renovate Glorietta, Quad, Greenbelt and the whole of the MakatiCommercialCenter to a whole new mall which will carry the name Ayala Center.
The plan was to recreate Glorietta to an indoor facility and integrate it with the remaining buildings surrounding it as well as the newly-constructed buildings that replaced the ones that's been torn-down namely the QUAD cinemas, By the mid and late 90s Glorietta reached its popularity as a premier mall. The construction was so perfect because of its indoor setup which makes it convenient for its customers. Bar-hoppers would enjoy air-conditioned facilities and could go to different bars and restaurants without having to go out of the facilty.
The Glorietta mall was opened in 1991 having a gross leasable area of 250,000 m², envisioned as one of the largest malls in the Philippines. Still today, Glorietta Mall remains as one of the biggest in Metro Manila. Glorietta is a one-stop, self-sufficient shopping center. Glorietta offers complete shopping and dining options ranging from apparel, accessories, home furniture, appliances to specialty brands. It has a fully air-conditioned atrium with water features, an indoor playground for children, and an activity center that hosts the best concerts and shows for its shoppers.
Other new buildings were also constructed in between 1999 and 2005, making Glorietta bigger than its original construction plan.
Architect: Welton Becket, a friend of Hollywood celebrities and designer of the homes of such screen legends as James Cagney and Cesar Romero, as well as of Los Angeles airport
Style: Art Deco
Design: The Jai Alai’s sleek, cylindrical glass front was said to evoke the velocity of the game, in which pelotaris use curved scoops to hurl a rubber ball at speeds of up to 200 km an hour against three walls of a court
Significance: Among the jewels of that period was Taft Avenue, a mini-Champs Elysee, with grand homes, sparkling movie houses, colleges and spectacular Art Deco buildings. One of the finest buildings was the Jai Alai stadium, opened in 1940 as a home for the Basque game of the same name and quickly adopted as a playground by the rich and glamorous.
Status: Demolition began on July 15, 2000 on the orders of Mayor Lito Atienza
