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| Manila Post Office |
Wended my way through the streets Manila this morning. Sometimes, it's hard to believe that those worn-out buildings used to house the biggest offices, that Manila used to be the business capital of the Philippines. What perhaps was once the bustling part of the city is now quieter and a little more deserted. Sometimes, it's hard not to resent Makati and her modern, high-rise buildings of minimalist structures. Where are the kalesas? Where are the peddlers, crying out their wares in the streets? These are part of what captures what it means to live in the Philippines.
But that is how the world is, as cities hasten to keep up with the modern times. Building designs change. Business centers change.
Nevertheless, during the times when you take a break from the hustle and bustle of Makati, Ortigas, and all those other busy, business districts, you find yourself in old Manila. Never mind that the streets are dusty and the buildings shabby. This is Manila—where there is and always will be beauty in old buildings, where forgotten pieces of architecture still stand tall and proud, a tribute to their designers and builders, where we catch a glimpse of the city in her former glory.
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