Luneta

I remember years back as an amateur photo enthusiast that one of the first locations to shoot was at the Rizal Park or Luneta as we fondly refer to it. Generations of photographers have gone before me to photograph Manila life in its most idyllic form. This is also where most "KBL's" and "Hunter-photographers" thrive amongst the different peddlers; balloons, street food, refreshments and lately, massage-therapy or "hilot" in the vernacular.

Luneta has since undergone major changes along with the adjacent Breakwater or "Baywalk" as it is now more popularly known. Still, a lot of the old world charm remains. Standing at the staircase leading up to the park fronting the grandstand, an architecture fan like myself can get to appreciate this symbolic and historical piece of "art deco".

As a child growing up in Malate, I remember my dad taking us all into the old Ford "Taunus" and driving off to the park on a whim! I remember running around, enjoying the feel of manicured grass, jumping and diving into it as we lived in a concrete neighborhood. Mom would bring a few snacks and we'd buy soda at stalls where only the deaf and mute were allowed to operate. We'd struggle at making hand signals and sign language but we'd get what we want eventually.

Into our teens, Luneta became a rite of passage. Like most public parks in the world, there would always be lovers doing their "thing" in the park grounds. Being a late bloomer, I never went through that but I do know people who did. But I did get my first taste of a woman's affection there later in life.

Over the years, I've visited the park a handful of times mostly during Independence Day celebrations and the last time I covered that was during the Centennial in '98. Life got in the way and my walks along the bay grew less frequent. It was only when I started a family that I went back again. This is where my children had their first taste of sunbathing and the bay was where my first born and I spent a lot of time as she discovered the joy of mobility as she perfected her coordination and gait. 

The park has always been a part of me and most every Manileno. I visit more often now as the walk going there serves to keep me in shape and it still offers me myriad photographic opportunities and the sunset at the bay is something I will never tire of regardless of the stench of garbage floating and getting caught up on the breakwater. It's sad to see it deteriorate but like most everything in this world, it is a byproduct of progress. 

God only knows how many frames have been shot of the park and the bay. Many more will be shot by generations to come. I only hope we can preserve what's left of one of Manila's greatest landmarks.