Rizal Park - Children's Playground

The Children's Playground looks good.  It's refurbishment has been successful because what the park authorities did was, clean it up and paint it over. It did not introduce new ideas into the park that messed up the original concept. Improvements were limited to the paved walkways,  and fixing up the ponds and fountains.  Kids will surely enjoy.

Rizal Park - Other Attractions

It should be Tomas the train.  Where do you find a colorful engine and a period train? Onli in da Pilipins.

WTF

Artist's Haven - The idea is good but the execution bad.  If you want to showcase the works of the artists why hide it in an almost forest atmosphere.  The whole front fence should be torn down and expose the artworks within.  If you should collect an entrance fee, design the foot traffic on a one-way direction, but please remove those mound of plants, fugly.

 The Dove's Birds House should be open up so that the doves are free to roam around and people free to feed them. Like in most parks on other parts of the world.

 The Fountain - It is already attracting crowds so move those heroes' busts to the gallery of heroes on the other side of the park.  A HEROES GARDEN it should be aptly called it would be a sight to behold if those busts are presented in rows in a unique pattern.

 This replica of the Aguinaldo House  - It should be demolished it is ill maintained or if not, turn it into a park information office. To serve some purpose.

 The Diosdado Macapagal bust should be placed in a President's Gallery somewhere in the park to make it relevant.

This sculpture on the unborn fetus should be fixed.  There is something hanging in that sculpture maybe the park authorities are not aware of it. 

Rizal Park - The New Noli Me Tangere Garden

I do not know why they called it the NOLI ME TANGERE garden, although  you see there the bust of Ferdinand Blumentritt and the Fountain where Rizal supposedly drank from, in that same area is the Philippine-Canadian Friendship Garden right beside it and the Binhi ng Kalayaan sculpture of Ed Castrillo that i find out of place. The one that replaced the globe and was in turn replaced by the statue of Lapu-Lapu.

 The fucked up guard house, look closely at the shape and how it was built.  The cracked hollow blocks the poor quality roofing, unpainted posts.  Obviously this was done in a hurry sacrificing quality and workmanship.  To think that this very same guard house is in the area where tourists alight from their buses to see the Rizal Monument.

 Ferdinand Blumentritt

The Rizal Fountain

 The 50th year Marker of  Philippine-Canadian Friendship

 The Philippine-Canadian Friendship Garden right nearby the Rizal Fountain

Ed Castrillo's Binhi ng Kalayaan.  I find this sculpture out of place.  It should have been placed at the center of the gallery of heroes near the tamaraw at the other side of the road. It looks fugly here. The base is fugly and the orientation not good.

Rizal Park - Rizal Monument and Flagpole

When i was a kid, my first visit of Luneta was a very memorable one.  I had my pictures on these very area a few ages ago...

 The Rizal Monument

The flagpole fronting the monument

Manila Hotel at the background

Rizal Park - New Sculptures and Murals

These award winning sculptures and the mural paintings are a welcome addition to the park. Here i take may hat off to NPDC.

Sorry for the quality of the pics

Rizal Park - Rizal Lights and Sounds

NPDC, wtf, a Dr Jose Rizal directional sign  placed on a Restroom signage...A TRAVESTY...(o buhay pa kayo ha?) you should be the ones shot at Luneta.   This is a problem with armchair managers they do not bother to go around and see for themselves what is wrong, what is missing and what needs changing in the park.

 What is missing here?

What is wrong with this picture?  The markers.  A new NHI marker is placed on the pathway, (YES ON THE PAHTWAY) explaining the relevance of the place, right beside an existing one that also describes the same place.  There are lots of things needed in the park and here is something that is not needed but has been provided.  If it was necessary to place the NHI marker the existing one should have been removed.  Are these people from NHI and NPDC not using their common sense?

Rizal Park - The Variety (Sari-Sari) Stores

These establishments does not deserve to be in a park more so, the premier park of the country. 

If vending could not be stopped inside the park, could someone, please someone, design a respectable kiosk that is pleasing to the eyes and blends well with the park.  Is it hard to come up with these kind of ideas? NPDC this is a no brainer....

Rizal Park - The Chinese Garden

Hopefully, the Chinese garden is well maintained.  The last time that i was there, the place was littered with garbage and the pond without water.

What is wrong with this picture.  Yup you got it right, the booth. The Ticket booth's color does not match that of the arch.  The dragon on the ticket booth is hideous.  It pales in comparison to the dragon in the arch.  Why put something that would spoil the original.  What is with those red railings.  Golly, these park people does not have a clue on what a park should be.  They must have been living in poor environments and conditions all their lives that they could not distinguish what is beautiful and what is not.

Rizal Park - The Japanese Garden

The Japanese garden seems ok, it seems it is well maintained.  I did not have the time though to enter the place.  I just hope that it is as pleasant as Japanese gardens should be.

This bamboo bench however is not.  It is in need of repair or better yet replacement.

Rizal Park - The Clock

Ever since i can remember as a kid, the RADO clock was a destination in itself whenever you go to Luneta.  It is almost always that visitors have their picture taken at the RADO clock after they had their pics taken at the Rizal monument and flagpole.  It is good that the clock has been revived.  Although the new one is not as beautiful as the old one, The HYUNDAI clock is bigger, a better alternative than nothing.

 It does not have numbers for the hours and no hand for seconds, still it is a welcome improvement.

Rizal Park - the Lapu-Lapu Statue (Agrifina Circle)

I do not believe that placing Lapu-Lapu at the circle was appropriate for Rizal Park.  Lapu-Lapu should have been built his own park.  Somewhere near the sea, the roundabout at the back of Folk Art Theatre would have been a good place.  It would have liven up the place and became a new destination to visit. Or, they could have put it at the Film Center Area facing the sea.  It would have been an ideal park for Lapu-Lapu.  It would have seem that he is perpetually guarding the land from invaders. 

However, while now that Lapu-Lapu is in it's current place could the NPDC at least fix the place up. Paint or tile the base and remove those railing already.  Those railings where for the skaters during the time when the Globe was at the center of it all.  Oh my oh my...why do we continuously foul things up.  This is supposedly the premier park of the country. 

 How he stands proudly on guard.  He deserves a place all his own.

The carriages being allow to ply the park should be regulated and conform to a certain standard of design.  What we see here is a PUNGGOK version of a carriage.  I have seen better carriages in Fort Santiago.  It should be of that sort of carriages or better yet, go with the pinoy authentic kalesa.

Rizal Park (Luneta) - Relief Map of the Philippines

A day at the park last June 29, 2011

 The Park signage is ok, it is an improvement of the previous one

 This framed pics of places i don't get, it takes up space and it sort of clutter the place, it should be removed.

They repainted the Map description but did not bother to clean and remove the stone the protruding wires and metal at the base. 

What is with those map holes? they did not bother to repair the map itself.  They made a walkway over it but did not fix the damage portions of the map.

Substandard metal for the canopy, broken and twisted (already? yes tita already)

Missing map descriptions (already? really?) obviously the much touted refurb is done with poor workmanship.  After those grand pronouncements this one is really a let down....a disappointment wtf.

Portion of the map is covered by the walkway it messes the whole thing up.  A wide walkway with no one really using it.  The walkway idea should not have been introduced into the map they should have just fixed the damaged portions  of the map and painted it over.  The observation deck based on the orignal design should have been improved and enlarge.....not the darn walkway...the idea there is to see the whole map from above to get the whole perspective.  With the walkway you do not really see the whole map, just portions of it.  Whoever introduced that walkway idea just fouled things up. NPDC, yup you guys there, you just fouled it up.....

Subic Holiday Villas, Kalayaan Heights, Subic Bay Freeport Zone

The place is designed for families on a weedend getaway.  The accomodation is ok, and the staff are helpful and friendly.

Winaca Cultural Village, Apangan, Benguet

The Winaca village is about half hour away from Baguio.  The place has it's charms but is not well maintained. It is kind of a work in progress..  Not advisable for backpackers and those without vehicles.

 the events hall

the cool restroom (male)

 a hanging bridge

 ponds

cute little tinny winny signage