Old Metro Manila

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

^{Old international airport in Makati.}

 

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This airport was located in what is now present day Ayala Avenue. Imagine runways and taxiways in the Ayala Center!!

I wish I can time travel and see the old prewar Manila. Such a beautiful city.

Yeah me too....

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

Ayala Avenue, once upon a time.

 

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1960s if I'm not mistaken. I wonder if this is the intersection of Ayala and Makati Avenues. Two of my cousins were seriously injured and their yaya was killed in this intersection in the 1960s as they were making a left turn on Ayala Avenue (coming from EDSA) to Makati Avenue on their way to Assumption College in San Lorenzo Village. Their Benz was hit by a rushing American-made taxi. The impact was so strong the Benz flew several meters and the maid flew out of the car and was killed instantly. Seatbelts were obviously not standard equipment back then.

 

This photo brought back memories of that terrible accident.

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

This is Ayala corner VA Rufino. Obvious na obvious. I pass here every day.

Yeah I think you're right. Part of the island has given way to an intersection that connects Salcedo and Legaspi Villages. I used to hold office very near this intersection back in the '90s.

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

I think this is the corner of Ayala and HV Dela Costa.

Thanks for the clarification bro.

[glut_func]

^ i heard dalawa n lang daw ang natitirang branch ng ma mon luk sa buong metro manila, the orig one in quiapo and the one in qc...

[shamrock8691]

glory days

[Amarth]

Medyo sariwa pa hangin

[sonnyt111]

The trademark taxis then were the airconless Geminis. This trend of Gemini airconless taxis continued until the early 90s.

Whatever happened to the Isuzu Geminis? One day they simply stopped making them. I'ts been years since I've seen an Isuzu Gemini.

 

And to think, at one point, we owned two units.

[sonnyt111]

Inside of Harrison Plaza during its early years..

 

Hplaza.jpg

 

(photo courtesy of Paulo Alcazaren of BluPrint Mag)

That area still has not changed except the elevator on the extreme right is long gone.

I believe the cinemas in the photo have been replaced by a supermarket.

Edited April 20, 2015 by sonnyt111

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paRwml066Lo

[Bugatti Veyron]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Hq5QuwabQ&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

[lex29ter]

madalas pa ako manood sa C.O.D kapag decemeber na

Classic!

[Bugatti Veyron]

The Plaza Restaurant on Pasay Road, Makati. Now long gone and just a memory.

[nolz]

madalas pa ako manood sa C.O.D kapag decemeber na

...me too.. sayang di tayo nagkita roon..

[sonnyt111]

I'm posting these photos in batches because of MTC restrictions as to the number of photos one is allowed for a single post.

 

Manila Nostalgia

Pictures and stories of the Manila we remember.

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Wack Wack Golf & Country Club

Posted on May 28, 2015 by lougopal

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Golf is a European sport. Didn’t it originate in Scotland ? However in spite of the humidity and heat, golf seems to be quite popular in Manila. It all started quite a long time ago – supposedly brought over by the British men who worked for the Manila Railway Company. Apparently with ample time on their hands and a surplus of caddies available to haul one’s clubs and the occasional beer, the Brits built a 3-hole course somewhere in the paddy fields around Intramuros. The sport became popular enough that by 1901, a 9-hole course was built next to the railway station in Caloocan. This was the start of the Manila Golf Club.

It was no time at all before the competition begged for a tournament. The Philippine Open was established in 1913, making it one of the oldest in the world. But there’s more to it than that of course, and hence the reason for my little story.

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Manila Golf Club-1919 (courtesy Paquito dela Cruz)

The Philippine Open was held from 1913 to 1934 at the Manila Golf Club, mostly won by Caucasian amateurs. Filipinos were barred from taking part in the Open until some kind-hearted unidentified American decided to sponsor a talented local caddy, Larry Montes, who learned the game by himself without the benefit of coaches and trainers or golf theory and training.

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Champion Larry Montes

Somehow he bypassed the color barrier and was allowed to play. The irony of it was that he won and became the club’s first professional champion. But the officials were agog because as winner of the open, he deserved to sit at the presidential table during the awards dinner. Alas, cooler (and bigoted) Caucasian heads prevailed and they asked poor Montes to leave in the middle of the ceremony, stating club rules which prohibited caddies from entering the clubhouse.

Enter William “Bill” Shaw, an American member of the club and coincidentally married to a Filipina. The club officials soon felt his anger at this blatant evidence of discrimination. Shaw was no pushover. He arrived in Manila in 1901 on board a United States Army transport ship. He started out as a timekeeper at a stone quarry owned by the San Francisco Bridge Company in Mariveles.

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From “Bill Shaw: the Man and the Legend” by Lewis Gleeck, Jr.

Always known for his hard work ethic and the art of persuasion, initiative and foresight, Shaw and his friends eventually took over AG&P (Atlantic Gulf and Pacific) see above. The company was involved in engineering, manufacturing and steel fabrication. Shaw adopted the Philippines as his country, never leaving to return to the U.S. even for a brief visit.

http://www.lougopal.com/manila/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/William-Shaw-1920-1024x796.jpgHis sense of fair play drove him to form another golf club, which would be open to all races and free from any discrimination. A new site in Mandaluyong was selected. A vigorous campaign was launched with a picnic at the proposed site of the golf course followed a few days later by a luncheon hosted by Bill Shaw at Tom’s Dixie Kitchen where applications for membership were distributed and filled out. [source: Cris Pin, post on Manila Nostalgia]

Membership subscriptions were offered at P1,000 each among Filipinos and foreigners with a limit of 400 active members. The subscription was quickly filled. The club was incorporated in February 28, 1930 with Bill Shaw as its first president.

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Wack Wack East course in 1945.

Bill Shaw contracted the services of Jim Black, a golf professional from the United States, to direct the construction of the course. (Black was also hired to redesign the Manila Golf Club in 1948.) The construction of the first 18 holes was started in April 1931. After the construction of the first 18-hole course, known as the East Course, Bill Shaw bought a parcel of land adjoining the Wack Wack property, on which another 18 holes were constructed, known as the West Course.

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Archbishop Michael O’Doherty

Odd name for a club, Wack Wack. Apparently it started when a foursome was playing at Archbishop O’Doherty’s 9-hole course rented to Shaw and friends. At the last tee near Malecon Drive close to Ft. Santiago, when one golfer hooked his drive into some tall bushes, scaring the heck out of some crows. Their cries sounded like “wak wak” . From then on the term wack wack was yelled out similar to the term “fore”. The club’s logo shows the two wacks or crows. True ? Some say, it was termed for the Tagalog reference to the raven, Uwak Uwak.http://www.lougopal.com/manila/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/wack-wack-gcc-logo.jpg

http://www.lougopal.com/manila/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Wm-Shaw-on-course.jpgBut Bill Shaw loved his club, it was his passion. He had his usual table by the window overlooking the first tee. The beautiful clubhouse was to become quite a popular rendezvous for dancing and receptions. What made it even more successful was the fact that the club welcomed everyone. He was incredibly devoted to the success of the Club, even becoming a daily fixture at the entrance door leading to Tee No. 1. He would greet all the golfers that passed by, and later on make rounds at the Club to ensure the members were having a good time.

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Wack Wack original clubhouse (courtesy Isidra Reyes)

The attractive Wack Wack clubhouse, a showcase of pre-war Manila, was destroyed by fire. Another second structure, even more luxurious, was again badly damaged by a fire and unfortunately destroyed all the club’s historical records and pictures.

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Fun loving Bill Shaw and mascot “Bellis” goat named for Amos Bellis of Heilbronn Inc.

Shaw was known for his love of the Filipino people and often made charitable donations. A tribute in the Manila Bulletin extolled that “when one project for community progress faced crisis, he was the one to meet the crisis –with money and with organization and directing effort. He was particularly interested in the underprivileged, and made his interest count to give them better privileges”. In fact, each year he hosted an annual Christmas party for the poor children of Tondo and Meisic districts

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L.R.Nielson (of Nielson Field) despedida at Wack Wack (courtesy Lindsay Nielson)

 

Shaw did permit himself one indulgence. He ate ravenously. Most observers and associates were content to describe his food consumption as prodigious, and nearly all of the most frequently repeated stories involve the theme of a gargantuan appetite. From a relatively slim young man, he ballooned to 300 lbs. Apart from overeating and smoking cigars, Shaw never touched alcohol and he never joined the characteristically inebriated parties that his American contemporaries were so fond of.

http://www.lougopal.com/manila/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Bill-Shaw-son-Joe-at-American-School-Donada.jpgQuite a magnanimous man, Bill was also a devoted father to his adopted son Joe. He would pick him up daily at La Salle school. It was rumored that Bill was Joe’s natural father and married to Joe’s Filipina mother. As an adult, Joe was provided many offers of employment by Shaw’s AG&P company but declined to follow his father’s footsteps, which may have indicated problems with his treatment at home. The above photo with son Joe, appears to be taken at the American School portico on Donada street.

http://www.lougopal.com/manila/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/William-Shaw.jpgWilliam J. Shaw died on March 1, 1939 at his Caloocan home of a malignant throat ailment. His funeral at the Cemeterio del Norte on March 4, 1939 was well attended by his many friends and colleagues.

Before his death, he donated 27 hectares of land for an additional 9 holes to be added to the golf course. His devotion to the game and the Wack Wack club remains his legacy which is honored by a memorial park within the property. A bronze bust monument to Shaw can be seen as one approaches the entrance from Shaw Boulevard.

Not much is known of the club’s activities during the Japanese occupation. However, “resuming operations on May 17, 1947, Wack-Wack held the first postwaropen tournament last February [1948] with Larry Montes emerging champion. Today,Wack-Wack is a veritable Mecca of tired businessmen, golf enthusiasts and other cosmopolites who go out there to play golf, hold lavish dinners and dances, take a dip inthe pool or merely shoot the breeze over a couple of cool, frosty glasses set on the tablesaround the airy, spacious terrace.” [source: Bill Shaw: the Man and the Legend, Lewis Gleeck, Jr.]

After Manila was liberated, one of the favorite spots for military R&R was the clubhouse, pool and golf course at Wack Wack.

 

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Wack Wack- Tee House by Hole#1 East Course

 

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Wack Wack rear entrance-1946

 

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Golf wasn’t just a man’s game.