#also for you eagle eyes you might be able to spot a hidden kim in the background somewhere ………. 👀👀👀

[jaiette]

waiting for the spring thaw ❄️🌱🌸

[ongpinned-blog]

Through the Eyes of Bacolodnon

by Daniel Ricardo C. Evangelista

Binondo. The fusion of old and new Chinese and Filipino cultures. Being someone from Visayas, I’ve heard of Binondo and all the tall tales people have about it (positive and otherwise), but even now, as someone who’s currently living in Manila, I’ve never had the time nor a good enough reason to leave my humble abode to explore the depths of Binondo in such a way that would satisfy my ever-growing curiosity. Partly, because I had no reason to, but mostly because I’ve never had much experience in commuting to cities in Manila outside of the one I’m currently living in.

Until now.

With a small Pacsafe bag, 500 pesos, a group of seven other friends, and steely determination, I finally decided to set off on a quest to discover the treasures that were nestled under the unwelcoming bustle of Binondo. The heat was immense and the traffic was as tedious as usual, but our resolve was stronger. From Taft, we took a jeep that stopped directly at Ongpin Street. As usual, our experience with transit was banal (yet uneventful) as always, but the sight of Quiapo Church more than made up for it when we arrived at our destination. A monolith that stood like the Eye of Sauron watching over an urban, more oriental Mordor, the dichotomy between the cultures that made up Binondo were clear as day.

[The European architecture of Binondo Church creates an odd contrast with the modern structures in the background and the other trappings of city life] 

I’ve read about this peculiar aspect of Binondo from my text books numerous times in Junior High School, but I have to admit: seeing it with my own eyes for the first time was a much different experience all-together. I did not expect to be so intrigued by this, but I was. Ah, who am I kidding? I was blown away by all of it. The convergence of cultures was both jarring fascinating at the same time. Sure, it might not seem like much to some, but I’ve always been someone who was interested in history and culture, and the initial sights that I was greeted with in Binondo all but made that side of me ecstatic. Who knew what stories were waiting to be discovered by only the most keen, eagle-eyed explorers?  Curiosity had morphed into genuine excitement, and no sooner did my legs urge me to choose a path and get lost in the foliage of the urban metropolis that was Binondo

However, seeing as we arrived a little later in the day, my posse and I had two problems: one, none of us were familiar with Binondo at all and two, we were absolutely famished. The only thing we had to go on was a restaurant owned by one of their friends that was situated somewhere in a less known part of Binondo’s chinatown. It was some ways away from where we were, but we decided to take it both as a challenge and an opportunity to see more of what the city had to offer for novice explorers such as ourselves and, with that in mind, began our exodus towards the distant star in the horizon that was our lunch, and to marvel at the sights we would discover in doing so.

Along the way, the cultural amalgamation was like a pungent stench that was getting harder to ignore. Chinese lanterns hung along messy power lines the low-hanging fruits of an old tree. Chinese letters dotted the roof of buildings tall and street-level alike, placed haphazardly besides english letters as if they wanted both Chinese and the locals to understand what they were supposed to be. Shops along the sidewalks that sold traditional herbal medicines were nestled snugly beside the more modern establishments such as Jollibee or McDonald’s. We could have stopped to eat there, but where’s the fun in that? This was the opportunity of a lifetime to indulge in a little cultural exchange, and none of us were willing to pass it up.

[To this day, I wonder if the practice of selling bootleg toys was a Filipino thing or a Chinese thing.]

Our first detour came in the form of a small Chinese grocery near the local Metrobank branch. One of my compadres was running a little low on cash, so the rest of us decided to see what it had to offer. Everything you’d expect from a grocery was there, but the difference was the abundance of: a.) Chinese goods such as herbs (again) and some rice and b.) plenty of bootleg toys and electronic devices. It was like discovering a dragon’s hoard, only that instead of gold it was fake Avengers toys and instead of a dragon it was a security guard with a nightstick. Lighters, cheap drones, phone cases, sunglasses, you name it. While most of the merch was arranged in a typical fashion, others were arranged in an ukay-ukay manner that whether intentional or not, was a unique way of selling people your stuff. Search hard enough, and you might find all manner of bits and baubles inside. Mostly, though? The cheap electronics stood out. Yeah, yeah, they’re bootlegs, but could you honestly name another place that sold drones for as low as 500 pesos? It’s a steal, I tell ya. As much of a steal as the wallet in your pocket is to the local pickpockets (seriously: watch those pockets!). Sadly, I wasn’t able to get the name of the joint since it was in Chinese, but it’s not hard to find once you know where the Metrobank is on that particular street. With the siopao stands littered outside, it was an interesting look at how two the two cultures can build off of each other to create something distinctly Chinese and Filipino at the same time. The one thing that truly made this quick detour memorable, however was what we found outside the grocery.

[Truly, a hidden wonder in Binondo]

Affixed to the side of the structure like a small branch being concealed by its larger brethren was a small yet beautiful shrine dedicated to the local parish priest. I didn’t want to disturb the locals, so I wasn’t able to get the name of the priest the shrine was dedicated to, but the sight of this religious monument alone was beautiful. Humbling, even, I’m not a religious person, but this was exactly what the social science nerd in me wanted to see when I came here. This, in my humble opinion, exemplifies the cultural fusion that Binondo is known for. There’s something solemn about watching a passerby stop, buy some of the Chinese candles being peddled across the shrine, and placing them in the pot before offering a brief prayer. It’s the perfect blend of Chinese traditionalism and Filipino Catholicism. It also helped that the cross was beautifully made, as well, with a lot of love and care obviously put into the decorum around the monument. We observed this wonder and the faithful for a good few minutes before moving on.

[Some street signs I found amusic along the way. The one at the bottom especially cracked me up.] 

Passing by numerous establishments and stalls, we were given a front-seat look at Binondo’s bustle. As per the norm in a city in Manila, motorists were the vehicular equivalent of wild, angry elephants; under the blazing heat, their honks and even the occasional violent shout from their angry Beastmasters. That combined, with the sweltering heat that seemed to burrow into our skin like tiny needles, made Binondo feel hostile. Unwelcoming. It was like someone who closed off his heart to anyone and everyone and chose to be fickle.  But, just like a person who closed off their heart, opening it can make you see some of the most beautiful and rawest emotions that you can’t find anywhere else. Numerous stores sold gold jewelry like it was candy. Some stalls sold all manner of goods that ranged from fruits to Chinese baubles that I didn’t know even exists. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they still sold some traditional goods like chimes and the like. They were a good insight into how, in spite of their adapting of Filipino and Spanish traditions, the Chinese culture was still strong in Binondo. As a newcomer, all of this made me feel overwhelmed, but also elated at the same time. Perhaps the fact that this is my first excursion outside of my comfort zone but, again, being someone who appreciates the stories that even the smallest, misplaced street sign can tell and the footprints cultural influences leave on people, I was hooked.

Our final destination was Kim Hion, the aforementioned establishment that my companions knew about. Honestly? If we weren’t hungry, I wouldn’t have eaten there at all. The food was alright, but by all means bland, and the service was mediocre. The siopao that we bought from one of the vendors but the company was good, so that made up for I (I still wouldn’t recommend it, though). Still, all things considered, I was hungry, and I ate like a shark. I’ve always had a soft spot for Chinese food and, to be fair, the prices were good for someone of my current financial status, so if that’s your type, then go ahead.

As I went back home, I couldn’t help but feel that my inexperience had dampened my trip. We went in blind with no money, and weren’t able to buy all manner of baubles or go to as many places as we wanted to. Binondo wasn’t very welcoming, either; As a fledgling explorer, many aspects of it scared me. The cars, the people, the shady alleyways. It was all overwhelming, and while I wouldn’t even consider going back under the normal circumstances, but Binodo allured me.  Bacolod city, which is the closest thing a Visayas native like me will get to a city that rivals Manila in my region, wasn’t as large or as chaotic as Binondo. Maybe my opinions on the former stem from the fact that I’ve lived there for almost 16 years, but if you’ll allow me to channel my inner nerd, Binondo is like a massive, sprawling dungeon in a Role-playing game that’ll take days for you to explore in full. You won't be able to explore the whole thing in one go and going in unprepared can cost you, but your persistence and curiosity will be rewarded.

Overall, I enjoyed our little excursion to Binondo. It was a tiring one, sure, but it more than makes up for it by being one of the most interesting places in Manila to tour around. It was a tiring one, sure, but it more than makes up for it by being one of the most interesting places in Manila to tour around. It’s not the kind of destination where all the sights are advertised, however; just like the shrine we found, in my humble opinion, the best sights to see are the ones that hidden from view.  Surely it holds all manner of secrets in its gigantic hoard…should you be willing to scour its depths.