Passing time in Pasay City (Part 2)

Big cities, particularly those in Metro Manila, often intimidate the promdi in me. I’m easily overwhelmed by the chaos, commotion and confusion that they’re known for. But I take exception for some whom I’ve grown fond of given the convenience, familiarity and enjoyment they offer. Daunting as they are, they’ve become my refuge whenever I’m craving for some "me time" to escape my quotidian existence.

A late afternoon glimpse of a section of Roxas Boulevard in Pasay

One of those I frequently visit is Pasay, the high-speed, frenzied city near Manila Bay, where huge throngs congregate to indulge themselves—grabbing something to eat, drinking with friends, watching shows and movies, and shopping practically 24 hours a day.  The city is veritably one of those places in the metropolis where the definitive Filipino culture that bears Spanish, American and Asian influences are at their most psyched-out! 

Manila Bay's fabulous sunset

What it lacks in size—total land area only adds up to a teeny-weeny 18.31 sq. km!—Pasay more than makes up for with its assemblage of massive complexes, towering skyscrapers, amazing vistas and interesting landmarks dotting its diminutive landscape. Here's a place where they seem to do everything on a grander and grandiose scale, making you feel like some Lilliputian caught in a dazzling maze of highways, byways, overpasses and alleys.

Pasay's Harbour Square

Aerial shot of the metropolis

Like many places in Metro Manila, the city by the bay bears little resemblance to the rest of the Philippines, especially those in the countryside. With a little over 416,000 inhabitants (that's a density of about 22,748 persons per sq km based on the latest census), a big part of Pasay is overcrowded, polluted and gridlocked, yet in between the din and drudgery of this highly-urbanized city are calm, high-rise, gate-guarded neighborhoods that are turning out to be little versions of those in the affluent West.

If there’s one thing about a place that usually intrigues me, that would be its appellation. Pasay’s name, for instance, has been the stuff around which legends have been woven. The one that’s more widely accepted is that it was named after Dayang-dayang Pasay, a princess of the Namayan Kingdom during pre-Hispanic Philippines.

A glimpse of Manila Bay one early morning

Namayan, which is the confederation of barangays that stretched from Manila Bay to Laguna de Bay, flourished from 800-1175 AD. The ancient kingdom’s legendary princess inherited the lands now comprising the territories of Culi-culi, Pasay and Baclaran. Its royal capital was built in Sapa, known today as the district of Sta. Ana in Manila.

Due to its location just south of Manila, the seat of the national government, Pasay quickly became an urban town during the American colonial period. With its rather limited space, it is considered as the third smallest political unit in the National Capital Region and the fourth in the country.

The country's official carrier

Say Pasay and, chances are, one of the first things that would come to people's minds would be the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as well as the domestic and international airplanes that are housed in its hangars.

Despite its size, Pasay’s nearness to Manila has helped propel it into the national centerstage by serving as the country’s air transportation hub. The city houses the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) complex, which include the Villamor Air Base and, of course, NAIA. Both domestic and international flights of the country’s major airlines take place at NAIA’s terminals whose locations are shared by both Pasay and its neighbor, Parañaque. 

Inside NAIA Terminal 3

The availability of an accessible and convenient land transport system as well as strategic roads also make Pasay a converging point for many local and foreign travelers. At present, the city boasts of having 15 bus terminals, 9 of which have commercial garages in Pasay. Short-distance commuters can also take any of its 2,500 (and still counting) tricycles to get them to various locations in the city. Mind you, it's also home to two rail transit terminals via the LRT and the MRT.

Caught the sunset over NAIA 3

ASEAN Garden at the CCP Complex

All these and more have helped turn Pasay into the ultimate escapist's paradise today, the must-see city for travelers in search for ways to delight themselves. Be it wonderful adventures, high-rolling games of chance or dreamy rest and recreation—the city has all of that and more. Here are some of the interesting complexes in Pasay that I believe should find their way into your and every weekend warrior's list: 

Conrad's avant-garde lobby features these huge chandeliers 

Conrad Manila Hotel. Located atop a posh mall (S' Maison) at the edge of Manila Bay, Conrad Manila Hotel is a spectacular addition to the row of impressive, high-end complexes found in Bay City, the name given to the reclamation area located west of Roxas Boulevard and the Manila–Cavite Expressway, which is shared by the cities of Manila and Pasay on the north side and Parañaque on the south.

Our Mandaluyong-based friend, Juju, hosted a dinner for us at one of the restos inside S' Maison Mall (which occupies the first two floors of Conrad) so we grabbed the chance to explore the hotel itself. Shaped like one of the numerous luxury ocean liners sailing across the bay and docking at the waterfront, Conrad Manila is one of renowned hotelier Conrad Hilton’s chain of upscale hotels in the Asia-Pacific region, providing guests from here and abroad easy access to a wide array of dining, shopping and entertainment options and attractions.

Guests will be delighted to discover the hotel’s wonderful amenities, including 347 elegantly furnished guest rooms and suites, a luxury spa, a 24-hour fitness center, an infinity swimming pool and pool bar, a direct link to nearby SMX Convention Center, a “pillar-less” grand ballroom, an outdoor function space with a lounge overlooking the city,  two restaurants, and a lobby café/chocolatier, among others.  

Marriott Manila, one of the four luxurious hotels inside the RWM complex

Resorts World Manila. Dubbed as the country’s first and largest integrated resort, Resorts World Manila (RWM) is a luxury one-stop, non-stop entertainment and leisure complex in Pasay, just a stone’s throw away from NAIA Terminal 3. The complex, which features gaming thrills, world-class entertainment, one-of-a-kind events and exciting lifestyle choices, boasts of four hotels (Marriott, Maxims, Holiday Inn Express and Belmont), a 30,000 sq. m casino and a 30,000 sq. m shopping mall called Newport.

RWM's mall is a four-level shopping haven that showcases an amazing array of high-fashion boutiques and world-class dining outlets. Newport also has a performing arts theater, a 1,500-seat entertainment hub that’s the perfect venue for concerts, plays, musicals, exclusive productions, and many more. It also boasts of high-end cinemas offering state-of-the-art technology to make film viewing a truly enjoyable experience. 

RWM's fantastic tunnel of lights and flowers

I had the chance to explore the complex during one of my recent trips to the metropolis. Together with my nephew and his gf, I went all over RWM, scoured its numerous nooks and crannies, sipped tea in one of the shops there and had dinner with the young couple at Mr. Kurosawa, a cozy Japanese resto inside the mall. Geez, it was truly one helluva window-shopping spree for this starry-eyed mall rat! 

World Trade Center. Opened to the public last October 1996, World Trade Center Manila (WTCM) is the first exhibition venue in the country that's listed by the Union des Foires Internationales or UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry. Its strategic location offers those who explore the city impressive visitor mileage and accessibility to the international airport and seaports, entertainment and cultural facilities, five-star hotel accommodations as well as to Manila, the seat of the national government, and Makati, the country's main central business district.

Known for its unparalleled expertise and experience in delivering efficient service during huge events, WTCM is the venue of choice of numerous prestigious events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC), which the country hosted in 1996; the National Women’s Summit, where about 15,000 delegates were in attendance, including former US First Lady Hillary Clinton who was its guest of honor; the Philippine Economic Basin Dinner reception, which was attended by prominent Asian economic ministers; and the country show of France dubbed as “Le Rendezvous de France, “ where replicas of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum were built inside the hall. 

I dropped by WTCM one weekend for a rather quick visit just to satisfy my curiosity for this complex. True enough, I was so delighted with the plethora of exhibits I saw there. The lack of time, however, hindered me from exploring the place to the hilt. I guess I have to reserve that until the next "me time" that I'll get to spend in Pasay. 

Lest I be labeled as some profligate hedonist who wastes his time bumming around in the escapist's paradise, let me make this clear: I'm certainly not! Finding time to just be all by myself, photowalking on my own, curling up with a bestseller, surfing the Internet for hours or staring at the sun as it goes down the horizon, catching up some of the best movies online at hooq.tv  is quite tough without feeling guilty and worrying about all the numerous things I should be doing. 

Just having a guilt-free "me time"—a  three-day long weekend  just like the one I recently had in Pasay— to do all of those things I've always wanted to do was pure bliss. I felt myself so relaxed, mind, body and soul, in a way that no amount of working out, hiking, biking or boozing with friends could ever achieve. Introverts would understand me. 

This year, I will continue to take back some of my "me time" that I missed for so many years (because I was married to my job!) if only to become a stress-freer, sunnier, and spunkier me for the rest of my life.

I've been having some "me time" these past few years whenever time, money and circumstances permit me. I've made it a point to set aside some days a month for this when I have absolutely no obligations. No guilt if I don't respond to calls, online comments, texts, personal messages, or video chats. No regret for staying up late on a Saturday night with a nice book or awesome film. No worry about passing time and "wasting" my hard-earned money in a city like Pasay. Yep, I've learned to take a day or two just for me.