Tag Archives: Manila

International, Travel

FILIPINOS COUNT THEIR BLESSINGS; MRT NOT THE WORST IN THE WORLD

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imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – MRT, Metro Manila’s much-maligned light railway transit system is, after all, not the worst in the world.

Filipinos came to the realization that the long lines leading up to the ticket booths and platforms, packed trains and frequent mechanical breakdowns are nothing compared to the commute time woes experienced by riders of more high-tech mass transit counterparts in other countries, including neighboring Japan.

The ‘ah-ha’ moment for Pinoys came as this video of commute hours in Japan surfaced on the Internet. It puts the phrase, ‘packed like sardines’ to shame.

Once in a while, we should all pause and count our blessings

Business, LGBT

VALKYRIE, PHILIPPINES’ TOP NIGHTCLUB, PERMANENTLY CLOSED

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imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles ® ) –  One of the Philippines’ top nightclubs located in an uptown suburb of Manila, has permanently closed its doors after being accused of  discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Valkyrie’s bouncers recently barred a transgender fashion designer from entering the club, citing a supposed policy prohibiting “crossdressers” from entering the premises.

The club’s management issued a statement on Tuesday stressing they do not discriminate against “trans women and transgender individuals.” Nevertheless, the management said it had no other choice but to close down the club permanently because of the firestorm that resulted from the incident.

The Adobo Chronicles learned that the club building has just been purchased by the affluent Catholic Archdiocese of Manila which plans to convert it into a new parish church.  The new church will retain the name ‘Valkyrie.’

‘Kyrie’ is a Greek term for ‘Lord’ which is used extensively in the Catholic liturgy.

It’s amazing how things work out perfectly!

International

CHINA LAYS CLAIM OVER MANILA’S CHINATOWN

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Manila’s Chinatown

BINONDO, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Apparently not content with its claim over the disputed territory in the South China Sea, the Chinese government today announced it was laying claim over the oldest Chinatown in the world — in Manila!

Manila’s Chinatown, located in and around the Binondo district, was established in the late 1500s. It was built by the Spaniards as a settlement for Catholic Chinese, and was positioned across the Pasig River so that the colonial rulers could keep a close eye on their migrant subjects.  To this day, it continues to be a center of commerce and trade in Manila where all types of businesses are run by Filipinos of Chinese ancestry.

Almost a quarter of the Philippines’ 100 Million population are of Chinese descent, and China is demanding loyalty from them.

The administration of Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino immediately protested the Chinese announcement, saying “China cannot just kidnap 25 percent of our population. What are they planning to do? Build a wall around Binondo and make our Chinatown their overseas seat of government?”

Aquino called U.S. President Barack Obama at 3 a.m. Monday morning (U.S. East Coast time) to report the latest move by the Chinese government.

The U.S. and the Philippines have a mutual defense agreement which provides for the use of Philippine bases by American military forces.  In exchange, the Americans are training the Filipinos on military combat and providing military equipment to help the Philippines defend itself against foreign aggressors.

Unfortunately, Obama was out of the country attending a summit meeting of the G7 nations.