Walking Tour of Escolta: The Calvo Museum

The Calvo Building is home to GMA Network (Kapuso) when it started as a radio station before it was became the country's largest television network, according to our tour guide Mr. Rence Chan of ""Walk with Chan", tour designer for Escolta Walking Tour, Binonondo Walking Tour and Binondo Food Tour.

The building was a very rich in historical value for its architecture and being a famous landmark in Escolta. The Calvo Museum at the fourth floor houses rare and antique collections of old newspapers, movie posters, vintage bottles, photos and mementos of the past revealing history of Escolta's yesteryears. There is an entrance of P100 to enter the Museum and priorities are given to group tours.

Old photos of Old Manila: 

Turn-of-the century Newsprints :

 The Vintage Bottle Collection:

Ads and Movie Posters Collection: 

Escolta Tour is being conducted by Mr. Rence Chan of "Walk with Chan" and also part of the Royal Postal Heritage Tour, for more info on how to join, contact Rence at e-mail : L_rence_2003@yahoo.com

*all photos taken by the author

Revisiting Escolta

Walking Tour of Escolta

Manila is such a rich place for heritage buildings and sites, Escolta is one of the Bohemian commercial district of Manila during its heyday. I remember seeing Escolta in my younger years, it is the place where famous shopping department stores located, working professionals dressed in suits, it was like little Europe. The structures of the building were mostly neo-classical and art-deco style which reminds of architectural geniuses of the past.

The walking tour is part of  Mr. Rence Chan's "Walk with Chan" initiatives,  part of the efforts of the advocacy is to bring back the glory of the queen of the streets, that is Escolta. Home to art deco buildings such as the Regina, Calvo, Burke and First United, it was a trip down memory lane.

Don Roman Santos Building now BPI Building 

The Regina Building

First United Building

We are allowed to enter the First United Building, you could see the details of the structures, old clocks, old-fashioned elevator that still works, the former movie outfit offices of Dolphy, FPJ and Ms. Nora Aunor.  

Art in every structure 

Every Saturday 98B is having a flea market here at FUB

Former office of Nora Aunor

Dolphy used to have his office here

Some of the former offices are converted into dormitories

Syvel's used to be a famous department store

Calvo Building, a former house of GMA Radio station

Capitol Theater

Our last stop is the Juan Luna building, formerly the First National City Bank, now Juan Luna E-services building. It was being renovated as a call center offices, we are permitted to go upstairs up to the top floor (without elevator but it's worth the inconvenience) to see a great view of Intramuros .

Views from the top of Juan Luna E-Services Building:

El Hogar Building now privately owned is in danger of demolition 

Manila Port Area

Manila Central Post office

Maestranza a.ka. The Royal Warehouses 

Escolta Tour is being conducted by Mr. Rence Chan of "Walk with Chan" and also part of the Royal Postal Heritage Tour, for more info on how to join, contact Rence at e-mail : L_rence_2003@yahoo.com

Royal Postal Heritage Tour : Metropolitan Theater (The MET)

This theater masterpiece, along the Pasig River and in front of the equally classic Manila Post Office, was designed, in the Art Deco style (then a rage in the U.S.A.), by National Artist (for Architecture) Arch. Juan M. Arellano. 

It was one of our cultural gems, a symbol of the country's glorious days in the arts, something we should be proud of. I just hope that it will be restored back to its glorious state. We are the Broadway of Asia for having such great numbers of world-class artists, talents and performers. 

This will be our contribution to the world, not only in the field of art but architecture as well. The art-deco architecture fascinates many engineering, art, architecture students and building enthusiasts.

Inaugurated on December 10, 1931, it seats 1,670 (846 in the orchestra section, 116 in loge and 708 in balcony) and was the biggest in the Far East at that time. During its heyday as the "Grande Dame" of theaters, the Met played host to vaudeville acts, zarzuelas, operas, pageants, Filipino and Spanish plays, and performances by well-known artists such as violinist Maestro Jascha Hefertz and composer/conductor Dr. Herbert Zipper (who conducted the Manila Symphony Orchestra).

Stylized Dancer by Monti

The theater's still exuberant and symmetrical exterior, with its tiara-like pediment with stylized minarets, has rectangular stained glass panels (by Kraut Art Glass of Germany), bas-reliefs with curlicues or mask-like chimeras; whimsical rope designs; friezes; colorful ceramic tiles; capiz shell main entrance lamps; intricate grille work at the doors and windows; and is also enhanced by sensuous, exotically-draped female statues, said to be Siamese dancers, done by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti (who lived in Manila from 1930 until his death in 1958). It used to house the Museum of Philippine Costumes and Dolls, a GSIS district office, an LBC branch and a travel agency.

I believe in the saying that "without art there is no culture, without culture there is no progress," I just don't know who exactly said that, but just so true.

Metropolitan Theater have its own series of battles (legal and financial disputes), rise and fall, decay and neglect. It even became a boxing arena, ice cream parlor, gay club etc. after it falls many times, typhoons aggravated the decay.   

Our group consist of art and museum enthusiasts, students and writers

One of the voice of MET is Mr. Rence Chan, advocating heritage conservation and restoration, he tirelessly conducted free educational and historical tour of the place through The Royal Postal Heritage Tour. 

Historyahan with Rence Chan

Inside the dilapidated theater:

Mementos of the past:

Dilapidated ceiling

View from the top of the MET:

The Manila City Hall

Escolta

The Grand Ballroom of the MET:

The Grand Lobby:

God is in the details, movie reels art 

Water and electricity has been cut off. The main entrance is now home to the homeless vagabonds and its arcades are filled with garbage and stinks to the high heavens with urine and excreta. We are teary-eyed seeing the sorry and sad fate of this once cultural and architectural landmark.  

"Such a beautiful Art-Deco masterpiece deserves a much better fate and should not follow the demise of other gems such as the Manila Jai Alai Building and Meralco Building."- Architect Benjie Layug, Travel Writer/Book author