1.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
2.
Makati
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Makati, officially the City of Makati, in the Philippines, is one of the sixteen cities that make up Metro Manila. Makati is the center of the Philippines, it has the highest concentration of multinational and local corporations in the country. Major banks, corporations, department stores as well as foreign embassies are based in Makati, the biggest trading floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange is situated along the citys Ayala Avenue. Makati is also known for being a cultural and entertainment hub in Metro Manila. With a population of 582,602, Makati is the 17th-largest city in the country, tradition holds that a Tagalog at a swamp on the south of the Pasig River was asked by a visitor, who was Miguel López de Legazpi, for the name of the place. As a result of the barrier the question was misinterpreted, and the Tagalog pointed to the receding tide of the Pasig River. Parts of the city were subject to the pre-Hispanic Kingdom of Namayan. It became an independent municipality in 1670, and was christened San Pedro de Macati in honour of the towns patron, the town was also famous for its pottery industry since the 18th century, with skilled potters trained by Jesuit priests. Its strategic location made it a pitstop for pilgrims, travelling by foot or boat, towards the shrine of Our Lady of Peace. In 1851, Don José Bonifacio Roxas purchased the Jesuit estate of Hacienda de San Pedro de Macati for 52,800 pesos, since then, the development of Makati has remained linked with the Zóbel de Ayala family and their company, Ayala Corporation. Culi-Culi is now a barangay named in honour of Del Pilar, by 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines and other overseas possessions to the United States after the formers defeat in the Spanish–American War. That same year, the town, with a population of 25,000, was incorporated from Manila to the new province of Rizal. On February 28,1914, the The Philippine Legislature passed Act 2390, shortening the name, San Pedro de Macati, during that same period, Santa Ana Park, the nations second horse racing facility, opened to expectations from horse racing fans. After the destruction Second World War had brought upon Makati, and the subsequent closure of Nielson Field, the town grew rapidly, the first of the planned communities were established in the 1950s with the efforts of its landowner, Ayala y Compañía. The first office buildings were built on what is now the Makati Central Business District, since the late 1960s, Makati has transformed into the financial and commercial capital of the country. Makatis central location adjacent to the city of Manila also made it a hub for major national and international corporations. Partly as a result a new town hall just miles from the old one was built in 1962 just along J. P. Rizal Avenue. Mayor Bañolas term of office as town executive saw the building up of what is now the Ayala Center with the help of the Ayala firm, which would become the citys central shopping center of today
3.
Philippines
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The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of about 7,641 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions from north to south, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the capital city of the Philippines is Manila and the most populous city is Quezon City, both part of Metro Manila. The Philippines has an area of 300,000 square kilometers, and it is the eighth-most populated country in Asia and the 12th most populated country in the world. As of 2013, approximately 10 million additional Filipinos lived overseas, multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelagos earliest inhabitants and they were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples. Exchanges with Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Islamic nations occurred, then, various competing maritime states were established under the rule of Datus, Rajahs, Sultans or Lakans. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in Homonhon, Eastern Samar in 1521 marked the beginning of Hispanic colonization, in 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain. With the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi from Mexico City, in 1565, the Philippines became part of the Spanish Empire for more than 300 years. This resulted in Roman Catholicism becoming the dominant religion, during this time, Manila became the western hub of the trans-Pacific trade connecting Asia with Acapulco in the Americas using Manila galleons. Aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until after World War II, since then, the Philippines has often had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a dictatorship by a non-violent revolution. It is a member of the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. It also hosts the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank, the Philippines was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, during his expedition in 1542, named the islands of Leyte, eventually the name Las Islas Filipinas would be used to cover all the islands of the archipelago. Before that became commonplace, other such as Islas del Poniente. The official name of the Philippines has changed several times in the course of its history, during the Philippine Revolution, the Malolos Congress proclaimed the establishment of the República Filipina or the Philippine Republic. From the 1898 Treaty of Paris, the name Philippines began to appear, since the end of World War II, the official name of the country has been the Republic of the Philippines. The metatarsal of the Callao Man, reliably dated by uranium-series dating to 67,000 years ago is the oldest human remnant found in the archipelago to date and this distinction previously belonged to the Tabon Man of Palawan, carbon-dated to around 26,500 years ago. Negritos were also among the archipelagos earliest inhabitants, but their first settlement in the Philippines has not been reliably dated, there are several opposing theories regarding the origins of ancient Filipinos
4.
Ayala Land
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Ayala Land, Inc. is a real estate firm based in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Ayala Corporation and it began as a division of Ayala Corporation until it was spun off and incorporated in 1988. It became publicly listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange in 1991 and its core businesses are in strategic landbank management, residential development, shopping centers, corporate businesses, and hotels. Support businesses are in construction and property management, ALI also derives other income from its investment activities and sale of non-core assets. Last April 2015, ALI bought a minority stake in Malaysian property developer MCT Bhd. in a P1. 9-billion deal
5.
Urban park
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The design, operation and maintenance is usually done by government, typically on the local level, but may occasionally be contracted out to a private sector company. A park is an area of space provided for recreational use. Grass is typically kept short to discourage insect pests and to allow for the enjoyment of picnics, trees are chosen for their beauty and to provide shade. An early purpose-built public park, although financed privately, was Princes Park in the Liverpool suburb of Toxteth and this was laid out to the designs of Joseph Paxton from 1842 and opened in 1843. The land on which the park was built was purchased by Richard Vaughan Yates, the creation of Princes Park showed great foresight and introduced a number of highly influential ideas. First and foremost was the provision of space for the benefit of townspeople. Nashs remodelling of St Jamess Park from 1827 and the sequence of processional routes he created to link The Mall with Regents Park completely transformed the appearance of Londons West End. Liverpool had a presence on the scene of global maritime trade before 1800. The latter was commenced in 1843 with the help of public finance, frederick Law Olmsted visited Birkenhead Park in 1850 and praised its qualities. Indeed, Paxton is widely credited as having one of the principal influences on Olmsted. Another early public park is the Peel Park, Salford, England opened on 22 August 1846, in The Politics of Park Design, A History of Urban Parks in America, Professor Galen Cranz identifies four phases of park design in the U. S. As time passed and the area grew around the parks, land in these parks was used for other purposes, such as zoos, golf courses. These parks continue to draw visitors from around the region and are considered regional parks, because they require a higher level of management than smaller local parks. According to the Trust for Public Land, the three most visited parks in the United States are Central Park in New York, Lincoln Park in Chicago. In the early 1900s, according to Cranz, U. S. cities built neighborhood parks with swimming pools, playgrounds and civic buildings and these smaller parks were built in residential neighborhoods, and tried to serve all residents with programs for seniors, adults, teens and children. Green space was of secondary importance, as urban land prices climbed, new urban parks in the 1960s and after have been mainly pocket parks. One such example of a park is Chess Park in Glendale. This award-winning park was given an award by the American Society of Landscape Architects and these small parks provide greenery, a place to sit outdoors, and often a playground for children
6.
Metro Manila
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These 5 provinces, plus Metro Manila and Pampanga, sum to 30.7 million residents as of the newly counted census of 2015. The region is the center of culture, economy, education, NCR is one of the 12 defined metropolitan areas in the Philippines according to the National Economic and Development Authority. Designated as a global city, NCR exerts a significant impact on commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education. It is the home to all the consulates and embassies in the Philippines and its economic power makes the region the countrys premier center for finance and commerce. NCR accounts for 37. 2% of the domestic product of the Philippines. The Province of Manila, the progenitor to the present-day Metro Manila, is one of the eight provinces that revolted against the Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. The province was honored as one of the sun rays in the Flag of the Philippines, a historical province known as Manila encompasses the former pre-Hispanic kingdoms of Tondo and Maynila. It became the capital of the colonial Philippines, with Manila serving as the center of colonial power, in 1898, it included the City of Manila and 23 other municipalities. Mariquina also served as the capital from 1898-1899, just as when the sovereignty of the Philippines was transferred to the United States, the province was dissolved and most of it was incorporated to the newly created province of Rizal in 1901. Since the Spanish colonial period, Manila was considered as one of the global cities. Pasig serves as its provincial capital, in 1939, President Quezon established Quezon City with a goal to replace Manila as the capital city of the country. A masterplan for Quezon City was completed, the establishment of Quezon City meant demise of the grand Burnham Plan of Manila, with funds being diverted for the establishment of the new capital. World War II further resulted in the loss most of the developments in the Burnham Plan, but more importantly, later on, Quezon City eventually declared as the national capital from 1948-1976. The tile was re-designated back to Manila through Presidential Decree No.940 owing to its significance as the seat of government of the Philippines since the Spanish colonial period. During the war, President Manuel L. Jorge Vargas was appointed as its mayor, Mayors in the cities and municipalities included in the City of Greater Manila served as vice mayors in their town. This was in order to ensure Vargas, who was Quezons principal lieutenant for administrative matters, the City of Greater Manila was abolished by the Japanese with the formation of the Philippine Executive Commission to govern the occupied regions of the country. The City of Greater Manila served as a model for the present-day Metro Manila, on November 7,1975, Metro Manila was formally established through Presidential Decree No.824. The Metropolitan Manila Commission was also created to manage the region, on June 2,1978, through Presidential Decree No
7.
Makati Central Business District
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The Makati Central Business District, also known as the Makati CBD, is the leading financial and central business district in the Philippines located at the heart of Makati in Metro Manila. It is politically known аs Central Cluster in the West District of Makati and it is different from the civic center of Makati known as Makati Poblacion which is situated at the north-east portion of the district. It is bounded by EDSA, Gil Puyat Avenue, Arnaiz Avenue, the whole district occupies barangays of San Antonio, San Lorenzo, Bel-Air, and Urdaneta. Many of the skyscrapers in Metro Manila are in this area, PBCom Tower along Ayala Avenue is the countrys tallest building and reaches up 259 meters. It is the headquarters of the Philippine Bank of Communications, or PBCom, the business district is also considered as one of the most vibrant commеrcial districts in Southeast Asia. It contains the Ayala Center, one of the major shopping centers. The financial district is managed by two groups - the Makati Commercial Estates Association and the Ayala Property Management Corporation. Downtown Makati started out as part of the municipality of Santa Ana de Sapa and became a town of its own in 1670, then as San Pedro de Macati in honor of its patron. In 1851, Don José Bonifacio Roxas purchased the estate of Hacienda San Pedro de Macati from the Jesuits for 52,800 pesos. The western portion of the estate is now what is called the downtown, since then, Makati and its development remain close to the Zobel de Ayala family. That same year, the town, with a population of 25,000, was incorporated from Manila to the province of Rizal with Marcelino Magsaysay serving as the town president. In the 1930s, the first airport in Luzon island, Nielson Field, the airport was officially inaugurated in 1938, and Philippine Airlines began its operations there in 1941. After the destruction of World War II that brought upon Makati, the town grew rapidly, as Nieslon Field closed down in 1948 the plan was set for the building of the central business district. The first centrally planned communities from the Ayalas farm estate were established in the 1950s, and some of the gated communities that were developed grew into commercial areas and office parks. The multiple-lane Ayala Avenue was completed in 1958, which part of the runway of the first commercial airport in the country. The downtown was developed into high density residential and commercial areas according to specific zoning regulations, in the early 1960s, Ayala Corporation commissioned some of the first high-rise buildings to rise along Ayala Avenue from one of the countrys best known architects, Leandro V. Locsin. The Makati Stock Exchange was established on May 27,1963 with its trading area located along Ayala Avenue in downtown, in the late 1960s, Downtown Makati has been the financial capital of the Philippines due to urban decay of the City of Manila. Bañolas mayorship saw the building of the Ayala Center complex in the mid 1960s, in 1972, Ferdinand Marcos imposed Martial law in the Philippines
8.
Hyde Park, London
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Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in London and one of its Royal Parks. The park is divided by the Serpentine and the Long Water, the park is contiguous with Kensington Gardens, which are often assumed to be part of Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens has been separate since 1728, when Queen Caroline divided them. To the southeast, outside the park, is Hyde Park Corner, during daylight, the two parks merge seamlessly into each other, but Kensington Gardens closes at dusk, and Hyde Park remains open throughout the year from 5 a. m. until midnight. The Great Exhibition of 1851 was held in the park, for which the Crystal Palace, the park became a traditional location for mass demonstrations. The Chartists, the Reform League, the suffragettes, and the Stop the War Coalition have all held protests there, many protesters on the Liberty and Livelihood March in 2002 started their march from Hyde Park. Hyde Park is also a ward of the City of Westminster, the population of the ward at the 2011 Census was 12,462. Hyde Park was created for hunting by Henry Vlll in 1536, Charles I created the Ring, and in 1637 he opened the park to the general public. In 1652, during the Interregnum, Parliament ordered the then 620-acre park to be sold for ready money and it realised £17,000 with an additional £765 6s 2d for the resident deer. In 1689, when William III moved his residence to Kensington Palace on the far side of Hyde Park, public transport entering London from the west runs parallel to the Kings private road along Kensington Gore, just outside the park. In the late 1800s, the row was used by the wealthy for horseback rides, the first coherent landscaping was undertaken by Charles Bridgeman for Queen Caroline, under the supervision of Charles Withers, the Surveyor-General of Woods and Forests, who took some credit. It was completed in 1733 at a cost to the public purse of £20,000, the 2nd Viscount Weymouth was made Ranger of Hyde Park in 1739 and shortly after began digging the Serpentine lakes at Longleat. The Serpentine is divided from the Long Water by a bridge designed by George Rennie, one of the most important events to take place in the park was the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was constructed on the side of the park. The public did not want the building to remain after the closure of the exhibition and he had it moved to Sydenham Hill in South London. At the age of twenty-five, Decimus Burton was commissioned by the Office of Woods and he laid out the paths and driveways and designed a series of lodges, the Screen/Gate at Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch. The Screen and the Arch originally formed a single composition, designed to provide a transition between Hyde Park and Green Park, although the arch was later moved. An early description reports, It consists of a screen of handsome fluted Ionic columns, the extent of the whole frontage is about 107 ft. The two side gateways, in their elevations, present two insulated Ionic columns, flanked by antae, all these entrances are finished by a blocking, the sides of the central one being decorated with a beautiful frieze, representing a naval and military triumphal procession
9.
London
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London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain and it was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. Londons ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1. 12-square-mile medieval boundaries. London is a global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism. It is crowned as the worlds largest financial centre and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world, London is a world cultural capital. It is the worlds most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the worlds largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic, London is the worlds leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city. Londons universities form the largest concentration of education institutes in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times, London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population was 8,673,713, the largest of any city in the European Union, Londons urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The citys metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants, the city-region therefore has a similar land area and population to that of the New York metropolitan area. London was the worlds most populous city from around 1831 to 1925, Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, the etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century and it is recorded c.121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin, and hand-written Roman tablets recovered in the city originating from AD 65/70-80 include the word Londinio. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae and this had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. From 1898, it was accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos. The ultimate difficulty lies in reconciling the Latin form Londinium with the modern Welsh Llundain, which should demand a form *lōndinion, from earlier *loundiniom. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the Welsh name was borrowed back in from English at a later date, and thus cannot be used as a basis from which to reconstruct the original name. Until 1889, the name London officially applied only to the City of London, two recent discoveries indicate probable very early settlements near the Thames in the London area
10.
Acacia
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Acacia, commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs, lianas and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australia, controversy erupted in the early 2000s when it became evident that the genus as it stood was not monophyletic, and that several divergent lineages needed to be placed in separate genera. It turned out that one lineage comprising over 900 species mainly native to Australia was not closely related to the mainly African lineage that contained A. nilotica—the first and this meant that the Australian lineage would need to be renamed. Botanist Les Pedley named this group Racosperma, which was inconsistently adopted and this was officially adopted, but many botanists from Africa and elsewhere disagreed that this was necessary. A number of species have been introduced to parts of the world. The heterogeneous group varies considerably in habit, from mat-like subshrubs to canopy trees in forest, the genus was first described from Africa by C. F. P. von Martius in 1829. Several hundred combinations in Acacia were published by Pedley in 2003, the genus of 981 species, Acacia s. l. in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae is monophyletic. All but 10 of its species are native to Australia, where it constitutes the largest plant genus, following a controversial decision to choose a new type for Acacia in 2005, the Australian component of Acacia s. l. now retains the name Acacia. At the 2011 International Botanical Congress held in Melbourne, the decision to use the name Acacia, other Acacia s. l. taxa continue to be called Acacia by those who choose to consider the entire group as one genus. Australian species of the genus Paraserianthes s. l. are deemed its closest relatives, the origin of wattle may be an Old Teutonic word meaning to weave. From around 700 A. D. watul was used in Old English to refer to the branches and sticks which formed fences, walls. Since about 1810 it refers to the Australian legumes that provide these branches, acacias in Australia probably evolved their fire resistance about 20 million years ago when fossilised charcoal deposits show a large increase, indicating that fire was a factor even then. With no major mountain ranges or rivers to prevent their spread and they began to form dry, open forests with species of the genera Casuarina, Eucalyptus and Callitris. The southernmost species in the genus are Acacia dealbata, Acacia longifolia, Acacia mearnsii and they are present in all terrestrial habitats, including alpine settings, rainforests, woodlands, grasslands, coastal dunes and deserts. In drier woodlands or forest they are an important component of the understory, elsewhere they may be dominant, as in the Brigalow Belt, Myall woodlands and the eremaean Mulga woodlands. Several of its species bear vertically oriented phyllodes, which are green, broadened leaf petioles that function like leaf blades, some phyllodinous species have a colourful aril on the seed. A few species have rather than leaves. Aborigines of Australia have traditionally harvested the seeds of species, to be ground into flour
11.
Christmas in the Philippines
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Christmas in the Philippines, one of two predominantly Christian countries in Asia, is one of the biggest holidays in the archipelago. The official observance by the Catholic Church in the Philippines is from the beginning of the Simbang Gabi on 16 December until the Feast of the Epiphany on the first Sunday of the year. The various ethnic groups in the Philippines each observe different Christmas traditions, in urban areas like Metro Manila, many offices organise Christmas parties. These are usually held during the week of December, or right before schools. Common activities include Monito/Monita, musical or theatrical performances and parlor games, food is provided either through potluck, or via a pool of contributions to buy food. Simbang Gabi is a novena of dawn Masses from December 16-24, the Simbang Gabi is practised mainly by Catholic and Aglipayans, with some Evangelical Christian and independent Protestant churches having adopted the practise of having pre-Christmas dawn services. Attending the Masses is meant to show devotion to God and heightened anticipation for Christs birth, and folk belief holds that God grants the special wish of a devotee that hears all nine Masses. Morning observance of Simbang Gabi this holiday begins as early as 03,00 PST, while in some parishes, after hearing Mass, Catholic families buy traditional Filipino holiday fare for breakfast outside the church and eat it either within the church precincts or at home. Vendors offer many native delicacies, including bibingka, putò bumbóng, drinks include coffee, salabát and tsokoláte. Some Aglipayan churches invite the congregation to partake of the paínit, the bibingka and putò bumbóng are also served to those attending the anticipated evening Masses together with dinner. For Filipinos, Christmas Eve on December 24 is celebrated with the Midnight Mass, family members dine together at around midnight on traditional yuletide fare, which includes, queso de bola, tsokoláte, noodles and pasta, fruit salad, pandesal, relleno and hamón. Some families would also open presents at this time, in different provinces and schools, the journey of Joseph and the pregnant Virgin Mary in search of lodging is re-enacted. The pageant, traditionally called the Panunulúyan, Pananawágan, or Pananapátan, is modelled after the Spanish Las Posadas, the Panunulúyan is performed after dark, with the actors portraying Joseph and the Virgin Mary going to pre-designated houses. They perform a chant meant to rouse the owners of the house to request for lodging, the owners then cruelly turn them away, sometimes also in song, saying that their house is already filled with other guests. Finally, Joseph and Mary make their way to the church where a replica of the stable has been set up. The birth of Jesus is celebrated at midnight with the Misa de Gallo, Christmas Day in the Philippines is primarily a family affair. The Misa de Gallo is celebrated on December 25 and is one of several Masses that all family members are present. The Misa de Gallo is often celebrated between 10pm and midnight, a schedule preferred by many Filipinos who stay up late on Christmas Eve for the celebration of the Noche Buena
12.
Ayala Tower One
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Tower One & Exchange Plaza is one of the tallest and most well-known skyscrapers in the Philippines. It is located in the Makati Central Business District and has a height of 160 metres, the building has 35 floors above ground level, and is originally planned to be the first of three towers for the Ayala Triangle. Plans for the construction of the two buildings did not materialize though. Tower One & Exchange Plaza was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, leandro V. Locsin & Partners was the local architect of record. The building is owned by Ayala Land, a subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation, other institutions headquartered at Ayala Tower One include the primary trading floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange and Banco de Oro Universal Bank. It is the headquarters of the Ayala Corporation, the company built the Makati Central Business District. The building is located at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, Tower One & Exchange Plaza is located near two other famous buildings, the headquarters of Bank of the Philippine Islands, an Ayala Corporation company, and the former main office of Insular Life. This building was built solely as a response to the Philippine Stock Exchange relocating from Makati to the Tektite Towers - West Tower in Ortigas Center, Ayala Land was hoping that the Philippine Stock Exchange would reconsider its plan. But the building did become one of the most prestigious office towers in the country, the building is strata title having multiple unit owners. Tower One & Exchange Plaza Ayala Land, Inc, website Ayala Tower One at Emporis Ayala Tower One Leasing Information Location Maps of Ayala Tower One at Ayala Maps website Ayala Tower One Project Page on SOM. com
13.
Nielson Field
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Nielson Field was the location of the Far East Air Force headquarters. Most of the aircraft of the FEAF were based at either Clark Field or Nichols Field, laurie Reuben Nielson was one of the many foreigners attracted by the business opportunities in the Philippines and moved to the country before World War II. Born in New Zealand, Nielson and his American wife, Annette and he established himself in local business, setting up his own firm, L. R. Nielson & Co. and making inroads in the securities and stock brokerage business, importing, and mining. Nielson also sat on the board of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation branch in Manila, Nielson was an avid aviation enthusiast, with this, he became involved in a project to build an aviation school and airport in Manila. When it was inaugurated in July 1937, the Nielson Airport was being touted as the biggest, after the outbreak of the war and the invasion of Manila by Japanese forces in 1942, Nielson and his family were detained by the Japanese authorities. Nielson’s wife and two sons were brought to the internment camp at the University of Santo Tomas, Nielson, because he was British, was taken for internment in Hong Kong. Nielson was never seen or heard from again, by the time the Philippines was liberated from the Japanese, Nielson’s businesses and most of his properties were all gone. After his wife and two left the Philippines and returned to the United States for good, Nielson’s only remaining legacy to the Philippines was the airport he had built. The property on which the airport stood was part of the Hacienda San Pedro de Macati owned by the Zóbel de Ayala family, the hacienda encompassed most of what is now the city of Makati. It was a location for the airport because Makati was then just a sparsely populated town adjacent to Manila. The site was located on a tract of land jutting from rice fields, clearly visible from the air. The Nielson Airport became the base of the American Far Eastern School of Aviation, when Philippine Air Lines was established, its very first flight took off in March 1941 from the Nielson Airport for Baguio. As a response to the expansionist policy of Japan, authorities in the Philippines set up the Far East Air Force headquarters at the Nielson Airport. Commercial flights at the airport were halted in October 1941 and the carriers were asked to relocate their services to make room for the U. S. Army Air Forces. When Japanese planes attacked the Philippines on 8 December 1941, the planes were spotted by a radar station in Northern Luzon. Unfortunately, by the time FEAF officers were able to get through to Clark Air Base in Pampanga, it was already too late. By December 9, Nielson Airport was also under siege, when Manila was liberated, the Americans and the Filipinos were again able to wrest control of the airport from the Japanese. The partially damaged airport and its facilities were restored and commercial air services, including international flights
14.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
15.
Hacienda
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Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines or factories, many haciendas combined these productive activities. The term hacienda is imprecise, but usually refers to landed estates of significant size, smaller holdings were termed estancias or ranchos that were owned almost exclusively by Spaniards and criollos and in rare cases by mixed-race individuals. In Argentina, the estancia is used for large estates that in Mexico would be termed haciendas. In recent decades, the term has been used in the United States to refer to a style associated with the earlier estate manor houses. The hacienda system of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, New Granada, a similar system existed on a smaller scale in the Philippines and Puerto Rico. Haciendas were developed as profit-making, economic enterprises linked to regional or international markets, the owner of an hacienda was termed an hacendado. Even though the private landed estates that comprised most haciendas did not have a tie to the encomienda. Encomenderos were in a position to retain their prominence economically via the hacienda, since the encomienda was a grant from the crown, holders were dependent on the crown for its continuation. As the crown moved to eliminate the encomienda with its supply, Spaniards consolidated private landholdings. The long term trend then was the creation of the hacienda as secure private property, haciendas originated in Spanish land grants, made to many conquistadors and crown officials, but many ordinary Spaniards could also petition for land grants from the crown. The system is considered to have started in present-day Mexico, when the Spanish Crown granted to Hernán Cortés the title of Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca in 1529 and it gave him a tract of land that included all of the present state of Morelos. Cortés was also granted encomiendas, that gave him access to a vast pool of indigenous labor, in Spanish America, the owner of an hacienda was called the hacendado or patrón. Onsite management of the estates was by a paid administrator or manager. Administrators were often hired for a term of employment, receiving a salary. Some administrators also acquired landholdings themselves in the area of the estate they were managing, the work force on haciendas varied, depending on the type of hacienda and where it was located. In central Mexico near indigenous communities and growing crops to supply urban markets, there was often a small, labor could be recruited from nearby indigenous communities on an as-needed basis, such as planting and harvest time. The permanent and temporary employees worked land that belonged to the patrón
16.
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
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The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA /ˈnaɪ. ə/, also known as Manila International Airport, is the airport serving Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is managed by the Manila International Airport Authority, a branch of the Department of Transportation, officially, NAIA is the only airport serving the Manila area. In the recent past there have been calls for Clark to replace NAIA eventually as the airport of the Philippines. The airport is named after the late Senator Benigno Ninoy Aquino, Jr. who was assassinated at the airport in 1983. In 2015, all terminals at NAIA handled a record breaking annual passenger traffic of 36,681,601, domestic passengers totaled 19,513,514 compared to international travelers, totaling 17,168,087. The original airport that served Manila, Grace Park Airfield, also known as Manila North, was opened in 1935 in Grace Park and it was the citys first commercial airport, and was used by Philippine Aerial Taxi Company for its first domestic routes. In July 1937, Manila International Air Terminal located in the 42 hectares Nielson Airport was inaugurated and had served as the gateway to Manila and its runways of which now form Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati. The original structure was built on what is now the site of Terminal 2, in 1954 the airports international runway and associated taxiway were built, and in 1956, construction was started on a control tower and a terminal building for international passengers. The new terminal was inaugurated on September 22,1961, on January 22,1972, a fire caused substantial damage to the original terminal building, and a slightly smaller terminal was rebuilt in its place the following year. This second terminal would become the international terminal until 1981 when a new, higher-capacity terminal. The old international terminal would serve as Manilas domestic airport until another fire damaged it in May 1985, the present Terminal 1, originally named Manila International Airport, was given its present name on August 17,1987 by virtue of Republic Act No. Plans for a new terminal were conceived in 1989, when the Department of Transportation, the recommendation was to build two new terminals, and in 1998 Terminal 2 was completed. Terminal 2 was nicknamed the Centennial Terminal as its completion coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain, in 1997 the government approved the construction of Terminal 3, which was originally scheduled to be completed in 2002. After many delays caused by technical and legal issues, the terminal became operational in mid-2008. The government aims to return services from many of the airlines which cancelled services to Manila as a result of Terminal 1s problems, the original proposal for the construction of a third terminal was proposed by Asias Emerging Dragon Corporation. AEDP eventually lost the bid to PairCargo and its partner Fraport AG of Germany, on August 1997, President Fidel V. Ramos led the groundbreaking ceremony of Terminal 3. The structure was completed several years ago and was originally scheduled to open in 2002. The ultra-modern US$640 million,189, 000-square-metre facility was designed by Skidmore, Owings, however, before the terminal could be fully completed, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, called the contract onerous and therefore formed a committee to evaluate the agreement to buy out Fraport AG
17.
Nichols Field
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Nichols Field was a U. S. military airfield located south of Manila in Pasay and Parañaque, Metro Manila, Luzon, the Philippines. Camp Nichols was established by the Air Service, United States Army in 1919, the 1st Group consisted of the 2d, 3d and 28th Aero Squadrons in 1919. The 2d Aero Squadron, having served in the Philippines beginning in 1915, was transferred back from Rockwell Field, the 3d Aero Squadron, also a stateside training unit during the war, was transferred from Mitchel Field, New York in 1920. The 28th Aero Squadron, which had served in combat on the Western Front during the war, was transferred to the group in 1922, the 3d Pursuit Squadron was moved to Clark Field upon its arrival in 1920 and Nichols became home of Air Park No,11. It also became the home of the Manila Air Depot, which provided support for all Army. The primary operational mission of Nichols Field was tactical training for coastal defense of Luzon, due to its proximity to Manila, it also was the primary command and control base for the Philippine Department Air Force. Exercises and maneuvers with Army ground forces and Naval forces were a regular, another mission of Nichols Field during the 1920s was aerial mapping of the Philippines, the topography of many of the islands were largely unknown. The aerial mapping mission was the mission of the 2d Observation Squadron. In 1940, political relations between the United States and the Japanese Empire reached a crisis with the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, with war clouds forming, a reinforcement effort was made to the Air Corps units in the Philippines. On or about 1 November 1940, the 4th Composite was reinforced by the 17th Pursuit Squadron from the 1st Pursuit Group, being transferred from Selfridge Field, the 20th Pursuit Squadron, from the 35th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field, California, also was transferred to Nichols. Both of these squadrons, however, had sent their personnel. In May 1941, the 17th and 20th squadrons were re-equipped with Seversky P-35As that were manufactured for the Swedish Air Force, on 24 October 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order requisitioning all the undelivered P-35s sold to Sweden and impressing them into the USAAC. Forty of the arrived at the Manila Air Depot in Swedish markings, with Swedish language technical orders. These planes all required modification at the depot before being turned over to the squadrons for operational use, the 28th Bombardment Squadron also received some Douglas B-18 Bolos. During summer 1941, Nichols Field was undergoing construction of an east–west runway, all of the flying units at Nichols were moved to Clark Field with the exception of the 17th Pursuit Squadron. The 17th was sent to Iba Airfield on the north coast of Luzon where it was undergoing gunnery training. In September, the 17th was moved to the still uncompleted Nichols Field when word was received that space at Clark was needed for B-17 Flying Fortresses of the incoming 19th Bombardment Group, the 3d Squadron was sent up to Iba for gunnery training to free up the space. However the 17th suffered from the construction at Nichols, which caused several ground accidents
18.
Ayala Avenue
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Ayala Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Makati, Philippines. It is one of the busiest roads in Metro Manila, crossing through the heart of the Makati Central Business District, part of Ayala Avenue forms Circumferential Road 3. Because of the businesses located along the avenue, Ayala Avenue is nicknamed the Wall Street of the Philippines. It is also a link between Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue. Ayala Avenues segment from Paseo de Roxas to Makati Avenue used to be a runway of the Nielson Airport, the airport was destroyed during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines on December 10,1941 and resumed operations after the end World War II in 1947. The runways were converted into a road in 1949 when the permanent facilities of the airport was passed on the owner of the land, the runways missing part to the main road was added. It later created new segments from Paseo de Roxas to Malugay Street, Malugay Street to Kamagong Street, the last extension is a northbound lane connecting South Avenue. When the Manila Metro Rail Transit System was established, its flyover was added for left turns onto EDSA heading to Monumento, if Bold has a street crossings. Many multinational companies, banks and other businesses are located within the triangle. A few upscale boutiques, restaurants and a park called Ayala Triangle Gardens are also located in the area, pBCom Tower, the tallest commercial building in the Philippines, is located at Ayala Avenue and V. A. It serves as the headquarters of two Philippine banks, the Philippine Bank of Communications, and East West Bank, One of the trading floors of the Philippine Stock Exchange is located on Ayala Avenues Ayala Tower One, as well as the old building of the Makati Stock Exchange. Near the building is also a statue of politician Benigno Aquino, Jr. located at the corner of Ayala Avenue, international Tower Insular Life Building LKG Tower L. V. Building UCPB Corporate Offices The monuments of Benigno Aquino, Jr. pedestrian underpasses at Glorietta, Legazpi, Paseo de Roxas, V. A
19.
Paseo de Roxas
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Paseo de Roxas is a prime commercial artery in the Makati Central Business District of Metro Manila, Philippines. It is an avenue that cuts through the middle of the business district connecting San Lorenzo Village in the west to Bel-Air Village in the east. As it enters Salcedo Village east of Ayala Avenue, the give way to high rises on the north side. Past the intersection with Makati Avenue, Paseo de Roxas skirts the side of Urdaneta Village leading to its eastern terminus at Gil Puyat Avenue. The avenue was named after Ayala Corporation founder Domingo Roxas of the Zobel de Ayala family that owns the land and it was the site of the old Nielson Field airport where it served as a runway along with Ayala Avenue. Paseo de Roxas also has short extensions into the gated San Lorenzo Village as Edades Street, Paseo de Roxas is the address of the Asian Institute of Management, which occupies a full block on the north side of the street between Benavidez and Gamboa Streets across from Greenbelt. The street also hosts the headquarters of a number of banks, notably the Bank of the Philippine Islands, Chinabank, Citibank Philippines, and Philippine Savings Bank. Paseo de Roxas is also home to a number of skyscrapers such as the Philamlife Tower, Zuellig Building, One Roxas Triangle, Lepanto Building. Across the street from the Ayala Triangle Gardens is the Paseo Center which houses a Rustans Supermarket and a flagship branch of Anytime Fitness
20.
Makati Avenue
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Makati Avenue is a major commercial thoroughfare in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It forms the border of Ayala Triangle and is one of the three main avenues of the Makati Central Business District. The avenue runs in a somewhat north-south diagonal direction almost parallel with Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and it passes through two distinct neighborhoods of the city, the Makati CBD and the old Makati Población. At its northern end lies the older part of Makati starting from the Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge and it continues through Población to Gil Puyat Avenue, marking the southern edge of the old district. South of Gil Puyat onto the CBD, the avenue becomes more commercial, the shopping hub of Ayala Center and Arnaiz Avenue lie at its southern end. Makati Avenue has two each way in the Poblacion area, widening to three or four in the CBD. It has an extension into the gated San Lorenzo Village as San Lorenzo Drive. The avenue served as the access road to the old Nielson Field airport from San Pedro de Macati. It was known as Culi-Culi Road which also led to the barrio of Culi-Culi just west of Nielson Field, when the airport was closed down after World War II, its two runways were converted into wide roads known today as Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas. The airports control tower was preserved and is now a library called Filipinas Heritage Library and this library is located along the avenue at the southeast corner of Ayala Triangle. Makati Avenue, particularly its northern segment in Poblacion, has a history of prostitution, the areas around P. Burgos Street with its nightclubs, bars and budget hotels are considered by many as the red light district of Makati. At present, however, the area is undergoing gentrification with the completion of new commercial developments including the Century City mall. Makati Avenue is a retail and entertainment hub of Makati, at its south end, the avenue bisects the Ayala Center, separating Glorietta, Landmark department store and The Link shopping mall from the more upscale Greenbelt shopping center. The stretch from Ayala Avenue to Gil Puyat Avenue is the site of the Ayala Triangle Gardens, which houses the Old Nielson Tower and this section of the avenue also hosts The Peninsula Manila, Zuellig Building, Pacific Star Building, as well as several other office buildings. North of Gil Puyat are more hotels and commercial establishments, particularly near the intersection with Kalayaan Avenue. Venue Mall and Century City Mall are located in area, as well as Gramercy Residences, Trump Tower Manila, Berjaya Makati Hotel, IM Hotel Makati, St. Giles Hotel. The San Pedro Macati Church and Saint Paul College of Makati can be accessed by turning east onto Valdez Street before reaching J. P. Rizal Avenue and the Makati–Mandaluyong Bridge
21.
Ayala Corporation
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Ayala Corporation is the publicly listed holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by Domingo Róxas and Antonio de Ayala during the Spanish colonial rule, as of November 2015, it is the countrys largest corporation in terms of assets. The company began in 1834 with the formation of a distillery owned by Casa Róxas, the distillery was the maker of Ginebra San Miguel and was later acquired by La Tondeña, Inc. in 1929. In the late 19th century, Ayala participated in the construction of the Puente de Ayala over the Pasig River in Manila, built of wood in 1872, the bridge was reconstructed in steel in 1908 and became the first steel bridge in the Philippines. In 1888, Ayala introduced the first tramcar service in the Philippines, Ayala was responsible for the development of Makati as the financial district of Manila and the Philippines after World War II. In April 2010, FinanceAsia named Ayala Corporation as the company in the Philippines, as well as best for corporate governance. Clara Power for run-of-the-river hydro power, Ayala will contribute 1000 MW to the Philippine power supply, by 2015. In 2015, FinanceAsia awarded Ayala Corporation as the Best Managed Company in the Philippines in the 15th annual survey of top companies in Asia. In January 2006, the board of directors announced the decision by Jaime Zóbel de Ayala to retire as chairman of the corporation by April 2006. The board also announced his appointment as chairman emeritus upon his retirement, the Zóbel de Ayala familys holding company, Mermac, Inc. continues to hold the controlling stake in Ayala Corporation. In 2014, Ayala celebrated its 180th anniversary, the company is credited for having contributed to the socio-economic development of the Philippines. Ayala Corporation website Ayala at 175 magazine Philippine Stock Exchange Information Page on Ayala Corporation
22.
National Artist of the Philippines
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National Artists of the Philippines is an order bestowed by the Philippines on Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine art. Originally instituted as an Award, it was elevated to the status of Order in 2003, the Order is administered by the Cultural Center of the Philippines by virtue of President Ferdinand Marcoss Proclamation №1001 of April 2,1972 and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The first award was conferred on Filipino painter Fernando Amorsolo. The Order is the highest state honor conferred on individuals deemed as having done much for their artistic field, deserving individuals must have been recommended by both the Cultural Center and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts prior to receiving the award. Such people are then titled, by virtue of a Presidential Proclamation, as National Artist, and are inducted into the Order. Recipients attend a conferment ceremony at Malacañang Palace, where the President bestows on them the insignia of the Order, an ornate, gilt collar, in addition to the collar, each new Member is given a citation that is presented during the conferment ceremony. The Cultural Center of the Philippines then presents a Memorabilia Exhibit of the recipients works, however, national artists have since been honored under new categories. The NCCA created the category of National Artist for Fashion Design when it nominated Ramon Valera, President Fidel V. Ramos issued an executive order creating the category of National Artist for Historical Literature before conferring the honor to Carlos Quirino. A Second Deliberation, which is a joint meeting of the Commissioners of the NCCA, the list is then forwarded to the President of the Philippines, who, by Presidential Proclamation, proclaims the final nominees as members of the Order of National Artists. Order was later bestowed to candidate in a ceremony at Malacañang Palace in November 2013, over the years there have been several controversies involving the awarding of National Artist or involving awardees. On July 16,2013, the controversy finally ended after the Supreme Court of the Philippines voted 12-1-2 that voided the four proclamations. On June 20,2014, five years after he was shortlisted in 2009. Art of the Philippines Culture of the Philippines List of National Artists, from the National Commission on Culture and the Arts website. National Artists Guidelines The Order of National Artists - from the Official Gazette of the Philippines National Artists in Waiting, Six in a Fix
23.
Leandro Locsin
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Leandro Valencia Locsin was a Filipino architect, artist, and interior designer known for his use of concrete, floating volume and simplistic design in his various projects. An avid collector, he was fond of painting and Chinese ceramics. He was proclaimed a National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture in 1990 by the late President Corazon C and he was born Leandro Valencia Locsin on August 15,1928, in Silay, Negros Occidental, a grandson of the first governor of the province. He later studied at the De La Salle Brothers in 1935 before returning to Negros due to the Second World War and he returned to Manila to study Pre-Law before shifting to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Music at the University of Santo Tomas. Although he was a talented pianist, he later shifted again to Architecture and he married Cecilia Yulo, and one of their two children is also an architect. An art lover, he frequented the Philippine Art Gallery, where he met the curator, the latter recommended Locsin to the Ossorio family that was planning to build a chapel in Negros. When Frederic Ossorio left for the United States, the plans for the chapel were canceled. John Delaney, S. J. then Catholic Chaplain at the University of the Philippines - Diliman, commissioned Locsin to design a chapel that is open and can easily accommodate 1,000 people. The Church of the Holy Sacrifice is the first round chapel in the Philippines to have an altar in the middle, and the first to have a thin shell concrete dome. The floor of the church was designed by Arturo Luz, the stations of the cross by Vicente Manansala and Ang Kiukok, alfredo L. Juinio served as the buildings structural engineer. Today, the church is recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute, on his visit to the United States, he met some of his influences, Paul Rudolph and Eero Saarinen. It was then he realized to use concrete, which was cheap in the Philippines and easy to form. In 1969, he completed what was to be his most recognizable work, the marble façade of the building is cantilevered 12 meters from the terrace by huge arching columns at the sides of the building, giving it the impression of being afloat. A large lagoon in front of the theatre mirrors the building during daytime, the building houses four theaters, a museum of ethnographic art and other temporary exhibits, galleries, and a library on Philippine art and culture. In 1974, Locsin designed the Folk Arts Theater, which is one of the largest single-span buildings in the Philippines with a span of 60 meters and it was completed in only seventy-seven days, in time for the Miss Universe Pageant. Locsin was also commissioned to build the Philippine International Convention Center and he was also commissioned in 1974 to design the Ayala Museum to house the Ayala art collection. It was known for the juxtaposition of huge blocks to facilitate the interior of the exhibition, Locsin was a close friend of the Ayalas. Before taking the examination, he took his apprenticeship at Ayala and Company and was even asked to design the first building in Ayala Avenue
24.
Philippine Stock Exchange
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The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. is the national stock exchange of the Philippines. The exchange was created in 1992 from the merger of the Manila Stock Exchange, including previous forms, the exchange has been in operation since 1927. The main index for PSE is the PSE Composite Index composed of thirty listed companies, the selection of companies in the PSEi is based on a specific set of criteria. There are also six additional sector-based indices, the PSE is overseen by a 15-member Board of Directors, chaired by José T. Pardo. On February 3,1936, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it had relinquished control of the Manila Stock Exchange, the Philippine Stock Exchange was formed on December 23,1992 from the merger of the Manila Stock Exchange and the Makati Stock Exchange. Both exchanges traded the same stocks of the same companies, on January 4,1993, the former Manila Stock Exchange started the computerization of its operations using the Stratus Trading System with a company called Equicom. On June 15, the former Makati Stock Exchange adopted the MakTrade trading system, both systems were linked on March 25,1994 to produce a One Price-One Market exchange. In October 2004, the Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines, the SCCP acts as the settlement coordinator and risk manager for broker transactions as well as administrator of the trade guaranty fund. The ODiSy provides a 24/7 online system access for the submission of all types of disclosures, on July 26,2010, the PSE launched its new trading system, PSEtrade, which replaced the MakTrade system. The system was acquired from the New York Stock Exchange, on June 22,2015, the PSE launch its new trading system, the PSEtrade XTS, which will replace the PSEtrade system acquired from the New York Stock Exchange. The new trading system will be acquired from the NASDAQ In 2016, on March 2,2012, the PSE Composite hits 5,000 mark the highest record close. However, in December 12,2012, almost ten months after, on January 7,2013, the PSE Composite gets to all-time record at 6,000 mark. In March it again broke another record by ending the day at 6,847.47 after Fitch Group upgraded the Philippines for the first time to investment grade status. On May 10,2013, it achieved its 29th record close for the closing at 7,262.38. In May 15,2013, the PSEi hit its 30th all-time high of 7403.65 and ending the day at 7,392.2 <Rappler, May 15,5,18 PM>. However, the tapering by the Federal Reserves in the United States caused the PSEi to end at 5,889.83. On April 6,2015, the PSE Composite hits the 8,000 mark, construction of the Philippine Stock Exchange office tower in Bonifacio Global City is expected to be completed by mid-2016. The remaining six indices are sector indices based on a main source of revenue
25.
Myrica faya
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Myrica faya is a species of Myrica, native to Macaronesia, and possibly also southern Portugal. It is a shrub or small tree 3–8 m tall. The leaves are usually a dark, glossy green, 4–11 cm long and 1–3 cm broad, with an entire margin and it easily grows in any type of soil. It is subdioecious, with the male and female flowers produced largely on separate plants, the male flowers have four stamens and are normally produced in clumps close to the branch. The female flowers, usually occurring in similar groups grow slightly farther from the branch tips, the fruit is an edible drupe 5–6 mm diameter, it is a reddish purple ripening dark purple to black. It is used as an astringent remedy for catarrh, in Macaronesian islands it occurs most abundantly at altitudes of 600–900 m. The Portuguese population may be native or naturalised following early importation from Madeira or the Azores and it is an invasive species in Hawaii, where it displaces native trees such as Metrosideros polymorpha, with profound impacts on nitrogen cycling. Native Flora of the Canary Islands, biological invasion by Myrica faya alters ecosystem development in Hawaii. CS1 maint, Multiple names, authors list Vitousek, P. M, biological invasion by Myrica faya, Plant demography, nitrogen fixation, ecosystem effects. Flora Europaea, Myrica faya University of Hawaii, Myrica faya native habitats University of Hawaii, Myrica faya as an invasive species in Hawaii
26.
Murraya paniculata
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This common name can also refer to Cestrum aurantiacum. Murraya is closely related to Citrus, and bears small orange to red fruit resembling kumquats, pretty to look at but Murraya Paniculata is recorded as an invasive weed by many Australian councils. It is spread by birds, self-propagates and the roots are also invasive in seach of moisture and it invades natural habitats and is highly ranked on Australias most invasive weed list. This weed was introduced to areas in Australia and marketed as a easy to grow hedge which, sufferers experience headache, blocked sinuses and breathing difficulties, etc. It may be in the family but theres nothing healthy about a fully flowering Murraya hedge on a hot summers night. The plant flowers throughout the year and its leaves are glabrous and glossy, occurring in 3-7 oddly pinnate leaflets which are elliptic to cuneate-obovate to rhombic. Flowers are terminal, corymbose, few-flowered, dense and fragrant, petals are 12–18 mm long, recurved and white. The fruit of Murraya paniculata is fleshy, oblong-ovoid, coloured red to orange, M. paniculata is a native of South and Southeast Asia, China and Australasia. It is naturalised in southern United States, traditionally, Murraya paniculata is used both in traditional medicine as an analgesic and for wood. In the West, Murraya paniculata is cultured as a tree or hedge because of its hardiness, wide range of soil tolerance. The plant flowers throughout the year and produces small, fragrant flower clusters which attract bees, honey bee farms have been known to plant Orange Jessamine near bee hives. Serving not only as food for the bees but as protection from harsh winds, honey collected from bee hive colonies that collect pollen from orange jessamines, have a tangy sweet orange undertone. The Orange Jessamine is sexually propagated by its seeds, the fruits are eaten by birds, who then pass the seeds out in their stool. It may also be propagated by softwood cuttings. M. paniculata is vulnerable to soil nematodes, scales, sooty mold, M. paniculata is the preferred host to the insect pest Diaphorina citri, the citrus psyllid. This psyllid is the vector for the citrus greening disease, the crude ethanolic extract of leaves of Murraya paniculata has antidiarrhoeal, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities. Yuehchukene, an indole alkaloid, can be extracted from the root. Footnotes References Welsh, S. L.1998, flora Societensis, A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands E. P. S. Inc
27.
Podocarpus
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Podocarpus is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, Podocarpaceae. Podocarpus are evergreen shrubs or trees, usually from 1 to 25 meters tall, the cones have two to five fused cone scales which form a fleshy, berry-like, brightly coloured receptacle at maturity. The fleshy cones attract birds which eat the cones and disperse the seeds in their droppings. There are approximately 97 to 107 species in the genus depending on the circumscription of the species, the name Podocarpus is derived from the Greek, podos, meaning foot, and karpos, meaning fruit. Common names for species include yellowwood as well as pine. They are generally trees but may also be shrubs, the trees can reach a height of 40 meters at their tallest. Some shrubby species have a decumbent growth habit, the primary branches form pseudo-whorls around the trunk. The bark can be scaly or fibrous and peeling with vertical strips, terminal buds are distinctive with bud scales that are often imbricate and can be spreading. The leaves are simple, flattened and may be sessile or short petiolate, the phyllotaxis or leaf arrangement is spiral and may be subopposite on some shoots. The leaves are usually linear-lanceolate or linear-elliptic in shape, though they can be broader lanceolate, ovate or nearly elliptic in some species, juvenile leaves are often larger than adult leaves though similar in shape. The leaves are coriaceous and have a distinct midrib, the stomata are usually restricted to the abaxial or underside of the leaf, forming two stomatal bands around the midrib. Podocarpus are generally dioecious, with the pollen cones and female seed cones borne on separate individual plants. The cones develop from axillary buds and may be solitary or form clusters, the pollen cones are long and catkin-like in shape. They may be sessile or short pedunculate, a pollen cone consists of a slender rachis with numerous spirally arranged microsporophylls around it. Each triangular microsporophyll has two basal pollen producing pollen sacs, the seed cones are highly modified with the few cone scales swelling and fusing at maturity. The cones are pedunculate and often solitary, the seed cone consists of two to five cone scales of which only the uppermost one or rarely two nearest the apex of the cone are fertile. Each fertile scale usually has one apical ovule, the infertile basal scales fuse and swell to form a succulent, usually brightly colored receptacle. Each cone generally has one seed but may have two or rarely more
28.
Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr.
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The assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. former Philippine Senator, took place on Sunday, August 21,1983 at Manila International Airport. Also killed was Rolando Galman, who was implicated in Aquinos murder. Aquino was elected to the Philippine Senate in 1967 and shortly thereafter began speaking out against Marcoss authoritarian rule, in 1980, he suffered a heart attack in prison and was allowed to leave the country two months later by Marcoss wife, Imelda. He spent the three years in exile near Boston before deciding to return to the Philippines. Aquinos assassination is credited with transforming the opposition to the Marcos regime from a small and it is also credited with thrusting Aquinos widow, Corazon Aquino, into the public spotlight and her running for president in the snap election of 1986. Though many, including the Aquino family, maintain that Marcos ordered Aquinos assassination, Marcos actually had a kidney transplant in August 1983 and was in critical condition after his body rejected the first kidney transplant. An official government investigation ordered by Marcos shortly after the assassination led to charges against 25 military personnel and one civilian. Since their conviction, one of the convicts was pardoned, three died in prison, and the remainder had their sentences commuted at various times, the last convicts were released from prison in 2009, Benigno Aquino Jr. was elected to the Philippine Senate in 1967. During his first year as senator, Aquino began speaking out against the rule of President Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos in turn saw Aquino as the biggest threat to his power. On September 23,1972, Marcos declared martial law and ordered Aquino and others arrested and imprisoned on charges of murder, Aquino went on a hunger strike to protest the injustice of his military tribunal but ended the strike after 40 days. In 1978, while still in prison, Aquino founded his political party, in March 1980, Aquino suffered a heart attack in prison. He was transported to the Philippine Heart Center, where he suffered a heart attack. On May 8,1980, First Lady Imelda Marcos arranged for Aquino and he underwent the coronary bypass surgery in Dallas, Texas and met with Muslim leaders in Damascus, Syria, before settling with his family in Newton, Massachusetts. Aquino spent the three years in exile in the U. S. wherein he worked on manuscripts for two books and delivered several lectures and speeches critical of the Marcos government. By 1983, news of the situation in the Philippines led Aquino to return to his homeland. At that time, Ninoys passport had expired and the renewal had been denied, the passport carried the alias Marcial Bonifacio. Aquino became allies with Rashid Lucman as he supported the Muslim rebellion in Mindanao against the government, prior to his departure from Taipei, Aquino gave an interview from his room at the Grand Hotel in which he indicated that he would be wearing a bulletproof vest. He advised the journalists that would be accompanying him on the flight, in a matter of 3 or 4 minutes it could be all over, and I may not be able to talk to you again after this
29.
Benigno Aquino Jr.
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Benigno Simeon Ninoy Aquino Jr. was the former husband of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino and father of former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition towards Ferdinand Marcos, shortly after the imposition of martial law, he was arrested in 1972 along with others associated with the Communists armed insurgency and incarcerated for seven years. He founded his own party Lakas ng Bayan and ran for the Philippine parliamentary election,1978 and he was assassinated at the Manila International Airport in 1983 upon returning from his self-imposed exile. His death catapulted his widow, Corazon, into the political limelight, among other public structures, Manila International Airport has since been renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor, and the anniversary of his death is a national holiday. Benigno Simeón Aquino was born in Concepcion, Tarlac, on November 27,1932, to a family of hacenderos, original owners of Hacienda Maling, Hacienda Sawang. His grandfather, Servillano Aquino, was a general in the army of Emilio Aguinaldo. His father, Benigno Aquino Sr. was the Director-General of KALIBAPI and his father was also one of two politicians representing Tarlac during his lifetime, the other being José Cojuangco, father of his future wife. After the war, Benigno Aquino Sr. was arrested and charged with treason for collaborating with the Japanese during the occupation of the country. His father died before the trial was completed and he received his elementary education at De La Salle College and finished at Saint Josephs College of Quezon City. He completed his school education at San Beda College. Aquino took his education at Ateneo de Manila to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree. According to one of his biographies, he considered himself to be an average student, at age 17, he was the youngest war correspondent to cover the Korean War for The Manila Times of Don Joaquín Chino Roces. Because of his feats, he received the Philippine Legion of Honor award from President Elpidio Quirino at age 18. At 21, he became an adviser to then Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay. Aquino took up law at the University of the Philippines, where he became a member of Upsilon Sigma Phi and he interrupted his studies again however to pursue a career in journalism. According to Máximo Soliven, Aquino later explained that he had decided to go to as many schools as possible, so that he could make as many new friends as possible. After four months of negotiations, he was credited for Tarucs unconditional surrender and was given a second Philippine Legion of Honor award with the degree of Commander on October 14,1954 and he became mayor of Concepcion in 1955 at the age of 22. Ninoy helped brokered the purchase of Hacienda Luisita, a 6,453 hectare sugar plantation and he later on became the Haciendas administrator
30.
Anastacio Caedo
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Anastacio Tanchauco Caedo was a Filipino sculptor. His style of sculpture was classical realist in the tradition of his mentor and he produced numerous commissioned representational sculptures mainly monuments of national heroes and successful Filipino politicians, businessmen, and educators. Caedo is also notable for having refused the honor of being awarded a National Artist of the Philippines - in 1983,1984, Professor Anastacio T. Caedo was not born in Macao, China. At the age of fourteen his uncle brought him back to Philippines to join his other siblings and stayed in Batangas with his parents Arsenio Caedo and his widowed father then have remarried and had five more children on his second marriage. Anastacio T. Caedo siblings, were Esteban Tanchauco Caedo and Marcial Tanchauco Caedo, at the age of 14, Elementary education at Calaca Elementary School in Batangas. In 1925, he entered the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts, even though lacking the required High School diploma in order to enter the university, Caedo made it to the UP College of Fine Arts through the direct recommendation of Professor Guillermo Tolentino. Thus, Caedo studied night school while taking up Fine Arts at the UP. Caedos career as a sculptor began in the year 1925 when he worked with Guillermo E. Tolentinos atelier as student-assistant and protégé. He graduated in 1932 from the UP College of Fine Arts The U. P Oblation statue was modeled after the physique of Caedo because of his lean. Tolentino later relegated the task of building the other Oblation figures in U. P, after World War II, Caedo was able to establish himself as a sculptor on the commissions from the Jesuits. He executed at least eight works for the Jesuits. He was also commissioned to build the MacArthur Landing site in Palo, Leyte, Caedo was known for injecting vitality and breathing life into his sculptures, which became the hallmarks of his style. He was also commissioned to build the monuments of Bonifacio in Balintawak, Rizal in Germany, Juan Luna in Madrid, Apolinario Mabini in Manila and he ultimately became known as a monument builder, and he built more monuments around the world than any other Filipino sculptor. For his lifelike bust of Rizal and his numerous monuments on Rizal, in 1951, he became a faculty member of the UP School of Fine Arts where he served for 20 years. He was appointed as Head of the Sculpture division of UP Fine Arts from 1957 to the early 1980s and his students and apprentices included Eduardo Castrillo, Abdul Mari Imao, and Ross Arcilla. Caedos son, Florante Caedo, also learned sculpture from him, Professor Caedo is also known as a meticulous portrait sculptor. His clients included Presidents Aguinaldo, Quezon, Osmeña, Quirino, Aquino and he also created several portrait busts of famous movie stars, politicians, and businessmen. He died in 1990 at the age of 83, Professor Caedo was married in 1937 to Ms. Florencia Beltran of Bicol
31.
Gabriela Silang
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María Josefa Gabriela Cariño Silang was a Filipino revolutionary leader best known as the first female leader of a Filipino movement for independence from Spain. Her mother was a Tinguian mother who was from a Tinguian Barrio in San Quintin Abra and she received a Christian upbringing from the towns parish priest, and attained elementary level education at the town’s convent school. After being separated from her parents early in her childhood, she was raised by a priest and they married in 1751, and he died three years later. After being widowed by her first husband, Gabriela met insurgent leader Diego Silang, in 1762, as part of what would later be known as the Seven Years War, Britain declared war on Spain, which caused the British occupation of the Philippines. He collaborated with the British occupiers, who appointed him governor of the Ilocos region on their behalf and this reinforcement was, however, never delivered. During this revolt, Gabriela became one of Diegos closest advisors and she was also a major figure in her husbands collaboration with the British occupiers. Spanish authorities retaliated by offering a reward for Diego’s assassination, consequently, his two former allies Miguel Vicos and Pedro Becbec killed him in Vigan on May 28,1763. After Diego’s assassination, Gabriela fled to Tayum, Abra to seek refuge in the house of her paternal uncle, there, she appointed her first two generals, Miguel Flores and Tagabuen Infiel. She later assumed her husbands role as commander of the troops and achieved a “priestess” status amongst her community. Her popular image as the bolo-wielding la Generala on horseback stems from this period, on September 10,1763, Silang tried to besiege Vigan but the Spanish retaliated, forcing her into hiding. She retreated once more to Abra, where the Spanish later captured her, on September 20,1763, Silang and her troops were executed by hanging in Vigans central plaza. The house, now a museum and art called the Casa Museo Cariño, is maintained by H. E. Ambassador Rosario Cariño. Among the rooms on display is the bedroom of Gabriela Cariño Silang while she used the house of her Uncle Nicolas Cariño as her headquarters when she fled after Diegos murder in 1763. The Order of Gabriela Silang is the third class national decoration awarded by the Philippines. In memory of Silang, the hospital of Ilocos Sur was named the Gabriela Silang General Hospital. The organisation and party list GABRIELA, which advocates womens rights, a statue of Silang on horseback was installed by the Zóbel de Ayala Family at the corner of Ayala and Makati avenues in Makati City, the nations financial centre. The metal monument was cast by José M. Mendoza in 1971, another monument stands in the town plaza of Pidigan, Abra, as a reminder of the heroine, whom the town claims as a native. The Tangadan Welcome Tunnel in Abra now has the Gabriela Silang Memorial Park with a monument to the heroine, Silang was portrayed by Kris Bernal in the 2013 GMA Network historical drama series Indio and by Glaiza de Castro in the GMA News TV television romance anthology Wagas
32.
Muhammad Kudarat
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Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat was Sultan of Maguindanao from 1619 to 1671. He was a descendant of Shariff Kabungsuwan, an Malay-Arab Johor noble who brought Islam to Mindanaw between the 13th and 14th century. Under the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, Sultan Kudarat became a Philippine national hero, Sultan Dipatwan Kudarat, the Corralat according to prolific Spanish historian Combes. The word Dipatuwan is Malay in origin and means master or sir, the word Qudrat is Arabic and means Power. The letters d and q and r and / are interchangeable in Moro, Sultan Kudarat overshadowed his father, Bwisan, and ruled with a strong hand. He was probably the strongest and greatest Mindanao Sultan that ever lived and he fought the Spaniards well and held their sovereignty in check for many years. His sea warriors constantly attack Luzon and the Visayas for allowing themselves to become soldiers of the newly arrived Iberians. His Sultanate controlled the seas for a long time. In 1636 General Corcuera led an expedition against him and after considerable difficulty reduced his fort, Kudarat had a large quantity of gunpowder and firearms, and his fort was very strongly fortified. The Spaniards captured 8 bronze cannons,27 Lantaka or culverins, in 1645 his relations with then Imperial Spain had undergone a distinct change. He had become powerful, but he was naturally desirous of peace. This treaty was in the nature of an alliance for mutual aid and it secured better commercial facilities and gave the Jesuits the privilege of building a church in the sultans capital. Thirteen years later hostilities were renewed and another campaign was directed against Simway and this time Kudarat succeeded in blocking the river at different places and successfully checked the invasion. Kudarat was the most famous ruler of the Magindanaws and he succeeded his father as chief of Magindanaw in 1619 and was titled Katchil. In 1619-1621, there was a war between him and the Rajah Bwayan that was either dynastic in character or a contest for primacy in the Pulangi. Both sides asked help from the Dutch East Indies who decided to stay neutral, in 1622, Kudarat appeared to have suffered some reverses which led him to sail to Cebu to pillage some artillery from the Spaniards. Soon after this, he was able to hold his own against attempts of Bwayan Sultanate to solely control the lucrative Pulangi waterways. In 1625-1626, because its Datu, an ally of Kudarat, was ousted, Kudarat attacked the island of Sarangani, burned its capital, slew scores of his enemies, the people of Sarangani were then made part of the Sultanate and tributary to him
33.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
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However, the history of the ‘Mandarin’ side of the group is comparatively recent, the The Mandarin hotel only opened in 1963, in the Central District of Hong Kong Island. In 1973, The Excelsior Hotel, which continues to use a separate brand today, in 1974, Mandarin International Hotels Limited was formed as a hotel management company, with the intention was to expand into Asia. That year, the company acquired a 49% interest in the Oriental Hotel, in 1985, the Company combined the two hotels under a common name, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. In 1987, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group was floated on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong under the name of Mandarin Oriental International Limited, Mandarin Oriental International Limited, is incorporated in Bermuda, and listed in London, Singapore and Bermuda. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Limited, which operates from Victoria City, in addition, the Group operates, or has under development,13 Residences at Mandarin Oriental, connected to the Group’s properties. Starting in September 2005, Mandarin Oriental showed the Moments of Delight at Mandarin Oriental at all hotels, in 2007 this video was slightly updated to add new scenes and in 2014 it featured lyrics by Chinese singer, Sa Ding Ding. Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta is a hotel in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. The hotels 127 rooms and suites are housed in a 42-story skyscraper designed by American architect Robert A. M. Stern, occupying floors 25 to 42 are The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta, homes managed by Mandarin Oriental. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, is a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. Today, the hotel is one of two properties of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona is a hotel in Barcelona, Spain, is located on Passeig de Grácia, Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum is located on a 60 hectare waterfront site on the northern side of the Turkish peninsula. Built on a series of levels in the hillside, the resort has 109 guestrooms and suites, all with sun-decks, terraces or balconies, the resort also has 10 restaurants and bars, and a 2,700 square meter Spa. Mandarin Oriental, Boston, located on Boylston Street in the Back Bay neighborhood, a Forbes five-star and AAA five-diamond hotel, it has 136 guestrooms and 12 suites, and a Forbes Four Star Restaurant. In January 2016, it was reported that the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Ltd planned to purchase the hotel, the cost of this deal would be $945,945 per-room, making this the most expensive per-room sale of a hotel ever recorded in the city of Boston. Opened in 1950 as the Hôtel du Rhone it was the first hotel built in Europe after the Second World War and it was purchased by the Mandarin Oriental Group in 2000 and renovated in 2008. Located on the bank of the Rhone river in Geneva, it offers 167 guestrooms and 27 suites. Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou, designed by interior designer Tony Chi, located adjacent to TaiKoo Hui, the Mandarin Oriental hotel has 263 guest rooms and suites, four restaurants and bars, a specialty cake shop and an expansive spa. The hotel opened its doors in 1963 as The Mandarin, in addition to the rooms, the hotel operates the 25,000 sq ft, Forbes Five-Star Oriental Spa, the MObar and the Michelin two-starred Amber restaurant
34.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
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The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines newspapers of record and it is a member of the Asia News Network. Apostol also published the Mr & Ms Special Edition, a weekly tabloid opposed to the Marcos regime. As the successor to the previous Mr. and Mrs. Special Edition, the new daily was housed in the dilapidated one-story Star Building on 13th and Railroad streets in Port Area, Manila. It was put out by 40 editors, reporters, correspondents, photographers, columnist Louie Beltran was named its editor-in-chief. The newspaper was then in documenting the campaign of Corazón Aquino during the 1986 presidential elections and, in turn. Its slogan, Balanced News, Fearless Views, was incorporated to the newspaper in January 1986 after a slogan-making contest held during the first month of the Inquirers existence. As Belmonte owned the Star Building where the Inquirer was headquartered, in February 1987, Federico D. Pascual, former assistant managing editor of the Daily Express, was named executive editor of Inquirer and was appointed editor-in-chief two years later. It was during his term in 1990 that the Inquirer took the lead from the Manila Bulletin to become the Philippines largest newspaper in terms of circulation, however, on July 1990, the Inquirer headquarters in Intramuros was damaged by an earthquake. On 5 January 1991, the transferred to the YIC building along United Nations Avenue. Inquirers longest-serving and first woman editor-in-chief, the late Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, was appointed on June 14,1991 and she was a former columnist and editor of the Panorama Sunday magazine of Bulletin Today who was sacked for writing articles poking fun at Marcos. She edited Mr & Ms Special Edition until the fall of the Marcos regime and she is also the first editor in chief of Sunday Inquirer Magazine. Under her term, in 1995, the Inquirer moved to its current headquarters in Makati City after transferring headquarters four times, during the administration of president Joseph Estrada, he criticized the Inquirer for bias, malice and fabrication against him—this charge to the newspaper was denied. In 1999, several government organizations, pro-Estrada businesses, and movie producers simultaneously pulled their advertisements from the Inquirer in a boycott that lasted for five months. The presidential palace was widely implicated in the boycott, which was denounced by then publisher Isagani Yambot as an attack on the freedom of the press. In 2007, according to the survey conducted by AGB Nielsen, the Manila Bulletin and the Philippine Star followed as the second and the third most widely read papers, respectively. Magsanoc died on December 24,2015 at the St. Lukes Medical Center in Taguig City, a month after her death, Jimenez-Magsanoc was recognized as the Filipino of the Year 2015 by the Inquirer. In February 2,2016, the Inquirer appointed its managing editor Jose Ma, nolasco as the executive editor, the new top position of the newspaper, replacing the traditional editor in chief position that used by Inquirer for more than three decades
35.
Manila Bulletin
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The Manila Bulletin, is the Philippines largest broadsheet newspaper by circulation, followed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It bills itself as The Nations Leading Newspaper, which is its official slogan, founded in 1900 as a shipping journal, it is the second-oldest Philippine newspaper, second only to The Manila Times. The newspaper was owned by a Swiss expatriate named Hans Menzi. Its name was changed from Bulletin Today on March 12,1986, on occasion the editorial policy of the Manila Bulletin has met objection from civil authorities. During World War II the newspapers editor, Roy Anthony Cutaran Bennett, was imprisoned and tortured by the Japanese for his statements opposing the militarist expansion of the Japanese Empire, the Manila Bulletin survived the martial law era of President Ferdinand Marcos as a propaganda tool. The company has listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange since 1990. It also publishes a number of magazines such as Wedding Essentials, Style Weekend, GARAGE Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, Digital Gen, Going Places. The newspaper is regarded by many for being pro-administration regardless of who is in power and also for its optimistic, only shortly after the death of Chairman Emilio Yap did the newspaper decide to allow discussion of political and current events in its editorial pages. The editorial is also featured in its sister papers Tempo and Balita, to further enhance its image as a newspaper which presents positive news articles, the Bulletin recently introduced a new marketing tagline, Theres good news here. In 2015, they adopted the marketing tagline Be Fully Informed which is still being used throughout 2016, in addition it maintains the oldest news website in the Philippines.3 million readers. The Manila Bulletin came second with 47%, while the Philippine Star was third with 42%, Nielsen survey also showed that the Sunday Inquirer Magazine led in its category, with 39% readership, Panorama came in second with 35%, and Starweek was third with 12%. Latest Q22016 Nielsen Consumer and Media View results put Manila Bulletin, with 48% share of the total Broadsheet market, Philippine Daily Inquirer comes in second at 38%, followed by Philippine Star at 14%. Manila Bulletin also had the most number of readers with 42% of its readers not reading any other broadsheet title. On June 5,2008, a Filipino blogger sued the Bulletin for copyright infringement, the photo blogger had discovered that photos that he had taken and posted online had been used by the Manila Bulletin in the Travel & Tourism section of its March 21,2007 issue. Apparently, the photographs had been altered and used by the newspaper without the original photographers consent, a month later, the newspaper filed a counter-suit against the blogger claiming exemplary and moral damages. The Manila Bulletin claimed that its use of the photographs constituted fair use
36.
The Philippine Star
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The Philippine Star is a print and digital newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the PhilStar Media Group. First published on 28 July 1986 by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, Max Soliven and Art Borjal, the newspaper is owned and published by Philstar Daily Inc. which also publishes the monthly magazine People Asia and the Sunday magazines Starweek, Gist and Lets Eat. The Philippine Star is among the Philippines most widely circulated newspapers, with a circulation of 266,000 copies daily. The Philippine Star was first published seven months after the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled strongman Ferdinand Marcos, at that time, Belmonte was the publisher of a small, monthly magazine called The Star, a predecessor of the The Philippine Star. Belmonte served as the chairman of the Board of Directors, while Soliven acted as the founding publisher. Antonio Roces served as the first editor-in-chief until his resignation in 1989, the masthead of the newspaper carried the motto, Truth Shall Prevail, reflecting its editorial policy of presenting both sides of the story instead of the prevailing scoop mentality of that time. Aside from the news section, the first issue also includes the World, Nation, Money, Life. For its initial price of ₱1.75, the newspaper had a print run of “a few thousand copies”. At first, the newspaper was published from Mondays to Saturdays because Belmonte prohibited work on Sundays. To capitalize on Sunday readership, Philstar Daily, Inc. began publishing Starweek in 1987, eventually, in 1988, the newspaper added a Sunday issue in response to the demand for news on that day, while continuing its publication of Starweek. Aside from The Philippine Star, Philstar Daily, Inc. also started publishing a Filipino-language tabloid Ang Pilipino Ngayon, with the sudden death of Belmonte due to cancer on 28 January 1994, Soliven assumed chairmanship of the Board of Directors while retaining his position at publisher. He appointed Belmontes 30-year-old son, Miguel Belmonte, as vice president. On 4 August 1995, The Philippine Star became the first Philippine broadsheet newspaper to publish a front page. In 1998, the Board of Directors unanimously appointed Miguel Belmonte as president and CEO, while Soliven remained as chairman of the Board of Directors and publisher. The following year, the newspaper introduced “Hotline 2000”, which use of SMS as a means for opinion polling. It was the beginning of other endeavors that brought the newspaper to the Digital Age. In 2000, the newspaper debuted its website, philstar. com, in the same year, the company began using computer-to-plate printing system. In that year too, Miguels brother, Isaac Belmonte, was appointed editor-in-chief of the newspaper, a complimentary copy of the newspaper was given to Jollibee patrons nationwide for every purchase of a Jollibee breakfast meal
37.
Rappler
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Rappler is an online news site based in the Philippines with a bureau in Jakarta, Indonesia. It started as a Facebook page called MovePH in August 2011, along with web based text news content, it was also among the first news websites in the Philippines to extensively use online multimedia including video, pictures, text and audio. It also actively uses social media sites for news distribution and its name is a combination of the words rap and ripple. With the idea of professional journalists using social media and crowd sourcing for news distribution, Rappler was started in 2011 by Maria Ressa, a Filipina journalist with her friends. Brainstorming for the company some time in 2010 when CEO & Executive Editor Maria Ressa was writing her second book From Bin Laden to Facebook in Singapore. It first started a Facebook page called MovePH created in August 2011, the site officially launched at its #MoveManila event at the Far Eastern University in Manila on January 12,2012. The Mood Meter is embedded on each story, users are asked “how does this story make you feel. ”And are given 8 different emotions to choose from – happy, sad, angry, afraid, annoyed, inspired, amused and don’t care. The top ten stories with the most votes over a 48-hour period appear on the Mood Navigator, the Rappler Mood Meter won the Bronze Medal for Brand Experience at the 2012 Boomerang Awards sponsored by the Internet Media Marketing Association of the Philippines. MovePH continues to operate as Rappler’s citizen engagement arm that pushes for real solutions to development issues through the use of media, some of MovePH’s advocacies include education, governance, climate change, gender, health, and disaster risk reduction and management. Rappler organizes the annual Manila Social Good Summit, part of a New York-based initiative organized globally by Plus Social Good, Mashable, the UNDP and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. At the 2013 Manila Social Good Summit, Rappler launched Project Agos, Media Ownership Monitor Philippines - Online by VERA Files and Reporters Without Borders
38.
La Mesa Watershed Reservation
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The La Mesa Watershed Reservation is a protected area that preserves the only major watershed in Metro Manila, Philippines. The park is under the joint administration, supervision and control of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and it was established in 2007 through Proclamation No.1336 issued by President Gloria Arroyo. The La Mesa Watershed encompasses an area of 2,659 hectares in the fringes of Quezon City, Caloocan and Rodriguez. It is situated on a hill or mesa at the foot of the southern Sierra Madre mountain range west of the Marikina Valley. It is about 9 kilometres north from the center of Quezon City in Diliman, the highest elevation in Quezon City is in the watersheds northern tip at 250 metres above sea level. The surrounding 2, 000-hectare forest contains more than 50 kilometres of trails and serves as the lungs of Metro Manila. It also contains the 33-hectare ecological park known as the La Mesa Eco Park and this park located at the southern edges of the watershed in East Fairview is administered by the Quezon City Parks Development and Administration Department and was opened in 2003. The La Mesa Watershed comprises a variety of ecosystems that is home to indigenous and endemic species of flora. Approximately 1,800 hectares are under forest cover and 300 hectares are open areas, pastures, several portions of the La Mesa reservoir are shallow with exposed mudflats, swampforest, reed and other swamp vegetation. The most common species found in the reservation are Malay beechwood, earleaf acacia, acacia mangium, narra, mahogany, teak, ipil-ipil, alibangbang
39.
Quezon Memorial Circle
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The Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park, city square and a national shrine located in Quezon City, which became the capital of the Philippines from 1948 to 1976. The park is located inside a traffic circle in the shape of an ellipse. This location will be the alignment for the approved MRT-7 named Quezon Memorial MRT Station. Circle, as locals call it, has been undergoing significant changes in order to lure in more tourists both local and foreign, due to these beautification efforts of the local government the number of visitors is continuously increasing. The site was intended as the grounds of the National Capitol to be built in Quezon City to house the Congress of the Philippines. The location was part of a larger National Government Center located around Elliptical Road. The NGC was meant to house the three branches of the Philippine government, former Quezon City Mayor Tomas Morato was instrumental to the selection of the site of the memorial park. A national contest for the Quezon Memorial Project was held 1951, filipino architect Federico S. Ilustres design won the contest. Aside from the monument itself, a complex of three buildings, including a library, a museum, & a theater, were also planned to be erected. Shortly after the People Power Revolution, the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation was established during the term of then Quezon City Mayor, Brigido Simon Jr. The NPDA turned over the management of the park to the QCPDF, in the 1980s, the architecture firm of Francisco Mañosa made a masterplan for the park sometime in the 1980s. On July 1,2008, the QCPDF which has been managing the park from September 27,1988, the Quezon Memorial Shrine is an art deco-themed monument was designed by Federico Ilustre and was built during the 1950s and serves as the centerpiece of the Quezon Memorial Circle. The 66-metre shrine representing Quezons age when he died from tuberculosis stands on a thirty-six hectare elliptical lot and it houses an observation deck that can accommodate sixty people at the top through a spiral staircase which gives the visitors a panoramic view of the city. At the top of the pylons are three mourning angels holding sampaguita wreaths sculpted by the Italian sculptor Francesco Monti, the regional identity of each female angels figure could be discerned in the traditional costume they were clothed with. The winged figures atop the three pylons represented Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the gallery and the catafalque below are lit by an oculus, in turn reminiscent of Grants Tomb. The planned auxiliary structures were never built, two smaller museums, one containing the presidential memorabilia of Quezon, and the other containing items on the history of Quezon City, were installed within the Quezon Memorial Shrine itself. In the 1980s, missing, lost, or incomplete bas reliefs for the outside of the memorial were installed, a house of Manuel L. Quezon family in Gilmore, New Manila was transferred within the Quezon Memorial Circle and was made a museum. A city museum, the Quezon City Experience was also opened within park grounds in late 2015
40.
Rizal Park
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Rizal Park, also known as Luneta National Park or simply Luneta, is a historical urban park in the Philippines. Located along Roxas Boulevard, Manila, adjacent to the old walled city of Intramuros and it has been a favorite leisure spot, and is frequented on Sundays and national holidays. Rizal Park is one of the major tourist attractions of Manila, situated by the Manila Bay, it is an important site in Philippine history. The execution of national hero José Rizal on December 30,1896 fanned the flames of the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Kingdom of Spain, the area was officially renamed Rizal Park in his honor, and the monument enshrining his remains serves as the parks symbolic focal point. Luneta is situated at the terminus of Roxas Boulevard. To the east of the boulevard, the park is bounded by Taft Avenue, Padre Burgos Avenue, to the west is the reclaimed area of the park bounded by Katigbak Drive, South Drive, and the shore of Manila Bay. Rizal Parks history began in 1820 when the Paseo de Luneta was completed just south of the walls of Manila on a patch of land next to the beach during the Spanish rule. Prior to the park, the land was the location of a small town called Nuevo Barrio that dates back to 1601. The town and its churches, being close to the city, were strategically used as cover by the British during their attack. Because of the part they played during the British Invasion, they were cleared after the rule of the British from 1762 to 1764. The church of Bagumbayan originally enshrined the Black Nazarene, because of the order to destroy the village and its church, the image was transferred first to San Nicolas de Tolentino then to Quiapo Church. This has since been commemorated by the Traslación of the relic every January 9 and this is why the procession always start at Rizal Park. West of Bagumbayan Field was the Paseo de la Luneta named after the fortification and it was also named Paseo de Alfonso XII, after Alfonso XII, King of Spain during his reign from 1874 to 1885. Paseo de la Luneta was the center of activity for the people of Manila in the early evening hours. This plaza was arranged with paths and lawns and surrounded by a wide driveway called La Calzada where carriages circulate, during the Spanish period from 1823 to 1897 most especially in the latter part, the place became notorious for public executions. A total of 158 political enemies of Spain were executed in the park, the bronze-and-granite Rizal monument is among the most famous sculptural landmarks in the country. It is almost protocol for visiting dignitaries to lay a wreath at the monument, located on the monument is not merely the statue of the national hero, but also his remains. On September 28,1901, the United States Philippine Commission approved Act No,243, which would erect a monument in Luneta to commemorate the memory of José Rizal, Philippine patriot, writer and poet
