Old Metro Manila

[sonnyt111]

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Relaxing by the pool – 1946

 

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Wack Wack Main Entrance-1946

 

Today, Wack Wack Golf & Country Club continues to be a world-class golf club, considered as one of the top 100 courses in the world. The 7000 yard, par 72 East course is a championship course where the 1977 World Cup was played. The West course is a resort course.

 

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Wack Wack G&CC today

 

Some trivia:

 

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Quezon’s golf clubs at Wack Wack (click to enlarge-courtesy of Manuel Quezon III)

 

http://www.lougopal.com/manila/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Manuel-Quezon-golfing-Tagatay-Links.jpgManuel Quezon was perhaps the most athletic of Philippine presidents. he loved to play golf and did so every time he had a chance, whether it was at the Manila Golf club in Caloocan, at Wack Wack in Mandaluyong, or up in Tagaytay as in the photo below. His favorite playing companions were Sen. Vicente Madrigal, former Speaker Jose Yulo, Dr. Jose P. Laurel and sometimes Archbishop Michael O’Doherty. it was said of the late fiery leader that when his score was low he used to call out his score to friends playing one hole behind. But it was different when his ball was always “in the rough,” and his score was high. It was then that Don Manuel was at his vitriolic best. He swore in at least three languages and a couple of dialects. It was just too bad if one of his playing companions happened to be the archbishop of Manila. The other players had a merry time laughing behind Quezon’s back. [source: Philippine Press Online from “Presidents at Play” article, July 9, 1949]

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On June 5, 1943, as president of the Philippine provisional government under the Japanese, Jose P. Laurel was playing golf at tee #7 when he was shot around 4 times. The bullets barely missed his heart and liver. He was rushed by his golfing companions, among them FEU president Nicanor Reyes, Sr. to the Philippine General Hospital where he was operated by the Chief Military Surgeon of the Japanese Military Administration and Filipino surgeons. Laurel enjoyed a speedy recovery.

Two suspects to the shooting were reportedly captured and swiftly executed by the Kempetai. Another suspect, a former boxer named Feliciano Lizardo, was presented for identification by the Japanese to Laurel at the latter’s hospital bed, but Laurel then professed unclear memory. However, in his 1953 memoirs, Laurel would admit that Lizardo, by then one his bodyguards, was indeed the would-be assassin. [source:Wikipedia]

During the later stages of the war circa 1944-1945 Japanese aircraft were dispersed into the golf course area to hide them from aerial observation and Allied bombing attacks.

The golf course was liberated by the US Army during February 9-10, 1945. On the grounds of the golf course, a Japanese A6M5 Model 52 Zero was captured intact.During 1945-1946, the level area of the golf course fairway was used as a grass landing field for US Army light aircraft including Piper L-4 Grasshoppers and L-5 Sentinels.[source: www.pacificwrecks.com]

 

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( courtesy of Bruce Henderson)

 

Part of a grim reminder of history, Sadaaki Konishi, the cruel commander of the Los Baños Internment Camp escaped when the camp was liberated in February 1945. He was eventually captured and assigned to a group of POWs to clean up rubble around Manila. As luck would have it, he was recognized by one of the Los Baños internees at the Wack Wack Golf Club in Manila in July 1945. Konishi was tried as a Class C war criminal for the offenses of violating the laws of war. He fully admitted to the massacre of thousands of civilians and added that “he had been conducting a war and left such mere details to his staff.” He was hanged in Sugamo Prison April 30, 1949. A Maryknoll nun, Sister Theresa, later reported that shortly before his death, Konishi became a convert to Christianity.

http://www.lougopal.com/manila/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Bantam-Ben-Arda-golf-pro.jpgKnown as “Bantam Ben” and “Toy Tiger” for his diminutive size, Ben Arda is also arguably the Philippines’ greatest golfer. He started out as a caddy at the Club Filipino in his native city of Cebu. During his off-hours, he would practice relentlessly, becoming one of Cebu’s top players. Then Wack Wack president, Nanoy Ilusorio, invited Arda to move to Manila to become a club pro. He was overall champion in the Asian circuit in 1969, a three-time Philippine Open champion, and the first Filipino invited to play at the US Masters in Augusta. In a major tournament in Japan, Arda posted his best score ever, a staggering -24 in four rounds of competition. [source: www.philstar.com article]

 

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Moncado at Wack Wack-1946

 

The above photo is of Gen. Hilario Moncado at the Wack Wack. Quite the celebrity, Moncado was an ace golfer who challenged Pres. Manuel L. Quezon during the November 11, 1941 elections. Out of 3.5 million votes, he lost by only 10,000. He was Commander in Chief of Philippine Guerrillas during three years Japanese occupation in the Philippines. He was tortured at Fort Santiago, but he escaped and founded the Crusaders Army by successfully recruiting 2.5 million volunteer guerillas all over the country. This paved the way for the smooth return of Gen. MacArthur by mobilizing his guerrillas from the Crusaders Army, in addition to helping liberate the internees at Santo Tomas Internment Camp. He later retired to Tijuana, Mexico and died there under mysterious circumstances in 1956.

As always, I welcome your comments, your stories and photos. Please post below or send directly to me at: Manilanostalgia@gmail.com

 

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Cheers ! Lou

[bonanas]

I'm in awe. Metro Manila wow!. Especially the colored ones. It really highlights the beauty and cleanliness. I mean I don't think Metro Manila is perfect back then.

 

But judging by the photos, everything seems to be in order. The pavement is clean, no sidewalk vendors, no dugyot streets, there's an air of developed metropolis but at the same time it looks and feels healthy.

 

Now, I'll go as far away from the Metro as possible to have a peace of mind to enjoy and relax. I wonder how we got to this uber-dugyot level that we have now. Now normal folks have filthy streets and criminals roaming around. Back then all social classes got to enjoy the Metro, now our kababayans in the lower economic class only have the malls to look forward to (bihira pa nga sa iba0, as far as unwinding a bit and getting away from our crazy streets

 

Nakakapanghinayang. I think it would take a cultural revolution of some sort for us to go back to this state again.

[Robo Cop]

na miss ko manood sa C.O.D tuwing pasko

[lomex32]

Here is an Online Exhibit of the City Of Manila (In line with the Araw ng Maynila June 24, 2015)

https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/exhibit/manila-reborn/0gJyQknmPODGJA?position=0%3A0

Edited June 25, 2015 by lomex32

[staringatdsun]

I think COD still has those displays during Christmas season

[FleurDeLune]

Aerial view of Manila, 1930's
A 10-year calm before the storm...
No one saw it coming.
The enemy came at the break of dawn and destroyed the beauty of what was once called the Pearl of the Orient

(credit to a.s.o/Memories of Old Manila)

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[dinibdib]

 

Ortigas skyline in early 70s. (Photo credit: Memories of Old Manila)

[soulkeeper32]

Check these resources out for pictures of the old Metro Manila:

http://www.philippine-history.org/pictures-old-manila.htm

http://www.slideshare.net/lotrom/pictures-of-old-manila

http://www.lougopal.com/manila/

http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/58643/photos-25-famous-landmarks-from-old-manila

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Philippines/190138951035424?sk=photos_stream

 

Thanks

[soulkeeper32]

Thanks! TS

[docpepin]

Na miss ko ang pamamasyal sa dating Avenida at Escolta nung chikiting pa lang ako, ang tawag pa namin sa lugar na yun dati ay Downtown. Pag sinabi ng parents ko pasyal at kain sa Downtown punta na kami Avenida at Escolta nuon. Di pa marumi at nakakatakot ang lugar na iyon nuon.

[philnightlife]

I miss having lesser buildings covering up the view of the sky

 

 

and of course cleaner roads/walkways

[lone23]

Wow. Walang trapik.

[goldrush]

ang ganda ng manila dati..

[foresight]

The good old Manila. Klasik.

[starwars_1977]

Npakasarap mamuhay noong 70's at 80's.

 

Walang pollution, simple o payak ang pamumuhay.

 

Walang problema hassle free talaga..

 

If only I could bring back the hands of time...haay!