July 20, 2013 Saturday Market at Escolta

Lauren Villarama, one of our active Urban Sketcher suggested that we join the occasional flea market in one of the old district of Manila along Escolta st. last July 20. This was organized by the 98B Collaborative who describe themselves as  a “multi-disciplinary art COLLABoratory” that aims to provide a venue where artists, curators, designers, educators, film makers, musicians, performers, researchers, students, writers, and other creative individuals can brainstorm, collaborate, and interact.

In April of this year, 98B starteda revival of  the vibrancy of Escolta, Manila by organizing the first “Saturday Market @ Escolta.” The venue was at barren ground floor area of the building.

The crowd who went there was surprisingly a lot, and USk Philippines enjoyed quite the exposure to a few hundred people who are interested in the concept of sketch walks. We got a few interested organizations as well for possible joint projects. Well, here's to hoping then coming true.

June 29, 2013 At the Pasig City Hall Roof Garden Sketching the Metro Manila Skyline

Carlo Martinez is an architect for the city hall's architecture division. For the past few years, this city hall die on was to implement sustainable designs, and one such project was their building to become an example. They've installed a rainwater re-use system and converted the rooftop as a usable events open space.

It also offers a nice vantage view of the other city skylines of Mandaluyong, Makati and Manila

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May 25 2013 Sketching at the Rizal Park, Manila

It was a clear day, and May's sketch theme was parks. It's also our 2nd anniversary for USk Philippines.

Hictorically, the part of Rizal Park we were sketching was planned to be the new Capitol of Manila, designed by American urban planner Daniel Burnham before World War II.Only 2 buildings got built - the Department of Tourism and Finance Building in the Neo-Classical style similar to the Washington D.C.and Chicago government buildings of USA. About 3 more government buildings never saw light, and it the planned reflective pool became a relief map of the Philippines, and in the 70s & 80s with a skating rink and a gigantic globe in the middle. The globe disappeared and presently has been replaced with the site of Datu Lapu-Lapu who killed Spanish Explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, who claimed the Philippines for Spain in the 16th Century.