6 Things to Do on June 12 at P120 or Less
Philippine Primer offers 6 (almost) cost-free activities for #FreedomFriday!
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(Photo from Manila Bulletin)
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The Philippines is celebrating its Independence Day! It’s Friday the 12th and most of the work force is up for a long weekend!
Bad news, though: payday for most is also on Monday. Yes, three days after the three-day celebration!
While the lucky ones had it all planned out and are probably going on a short vacation on these three days (like, say, Tagaytay, Laguna or even as far as Palawan), some of us are stuck in good ol’ Metro Manila. Hold your horses, though. Before deciding to spend the day at home, watching reruns of your favorite series, consider these six (six!) things that you can do at no more than P120*!
1. Take a crash course on Philippine history by visiting the heart of Manila.
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SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH in Intramuros
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Perfect for: Filipinos, Filipinos at heart and Filipinos for a month/week/day
Feel free to: tour around Intramuros by foot and independently, like the free man that you are. Let the untold stories of the city walls unfold as you walk its streets and visit its churches.
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INTRAMUROS during Intramuros Pasyal (Photo by Jess Jacutan)
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Get out of that (comfort) zone and walk to Rizal Park. Observe the everyday life of your typical Pinoy. Ask the lolo (grandfather) or lola (grandmother) with the widest smile at the park information about the country – or even their lives if you dare.
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RIZAL PARK (Leia Kuh)
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Visit the two-storey storyteller of Filipino history and culture: the National Museum. View two of the country’s cultural treasures: Juan Luna’s Spolarium and Felix Resureccion Hidalgo’s La Tragedia de Gobernador Bustamante. The best part? Admission is free for today (and the rest of the month).
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SPOLARIUM at the National Museum of the Philippines
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Budget breakdown: Save the San Agustin Museum tour for another day (admission for adults is at P100) and your P120 will be enough for a decent lunch and some snacks. Intramuros is home to different colleges and universities, so keep your eyes open for your friendly neighborhood ate selling lutong-bahay (homecooked dishes) at student-friendly prices. If you can find some, try the P1 mini-snacks found in sari-sari stores. Reward yourself with tsok-nut (local chocolate that shouldn’t cost more than P5 a piece) at the end of your historical field trip.
2. Discover why Pinoys are crazy over basketball.
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(Photo by PBA/Nuki Sabio from Interaksyon.com)
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Perfect for: sports enthusiasts who may or may have not used the hashtag #LabanPilipinas excessively at least once in their lives
Feel free to: figure out why before boxing, there was basketball, who Jaworski is and how Ginebra and Alaska are more than your usual household brands. Play ball at the McKinley Hill Independence Day Hoopsfest at the Venice Piazza. Watch the NBA finals, get the chance to meet and greet Talk N Text Tropang Texters players, participate in a 3-point shootout and an NBA 2K15 tournament from 11:00 AM onwards.
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Budget breakdown: Set aside money for an extra bottle of water (P25-40, depending on the size) or Gatorade (P45-60). Games at the event may or may not cost a certain fee, but talking to other basketball enthusiasts costs nothing and may even earn you a beer at the end of the day.
3. Learn more about the Philippine contemporary art scene by visiting the many different art galleries in Makati.
Perfect for: that starving striving artist, dying to get out
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Tin-aw Gallery (top) and Silverlens Gallery (bottom)
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Feel free to: brave the streets of Makati not for your usual job hunt, but for an art hunt. Unleash that culture vulture and look for Tin-aw Art Gallery, Silverlens Gallery and The Drawing Room.
Budget breakdown: Admission to these galleries is free, so save your P120 for a food trip later on (curiosity killed the cat, but you can go and take a sneak peek at our #6) or for an emergency cab ride in case you get lost.
4. Know more about spoken word poetry in the Philippine at Tulong Tula: Back to School Drive.
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FRANCISCO BALAGTAS, the prince of Tagalog poetry
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Perfect for: that inner makata (poet) in you
Feel free to: head over Sev’s Café at 7:00 PM and listen as Heroes Without Costumes and White Wall Poetry dish out their best for the students of Paaralang Pantao, a non-formal school for children aged seven and below in Payatas, Quezon City. Feeling brave? They also give you the opportunity to “own the floor as you share your pieces, songs, or simply your deepest hugots (sentiments).”
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Budget breakdown: Door charge is at P99. It comes with one drink and we advise you to stick to that number if you plan to go onstage at any point tonight.
5. Support the local music scene by attending these free concerts.
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#FLASHBACKFRIDAY. Remember the Bandwagon to Wanderland Day 1? (Photo by Jensen Ching)
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Perfect for: those who listen to music (read: EVERYONE)
Feel free to: have multiple eargasms as you listen to the best of OPM (Original Pinoy Music)! Jam with alternative rock band Hale and other amazing local artists at Free to ROCK at the Gateway Food Park, Cubao at 5:30 PM.
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Bring the entire family to Batang Malaya: A Gathering to Fight Child Labour at 5:00 PM at the Open Air Auditorium, Luneta Park! Join The Dawn, Noel Cabangon, Ebe Dencel, Dicta License, Brass Pas Pas Pas, Kai Honasan and Reklamo as they commemorate World Day Against Child Labour, which we are also celebrating today.
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Have a taste of the freshest Filipino music with Fresh Filter Vol. 1 that promises an amazing lineup of local independent artists. Head over to A Space Manila at 7:00 PM and end your Independence Day celebration with acoustic performances from BP Valenzuela, The Ransom Collective, Ourselves the Elves, Flying Ipis and Tandems ’91.
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Budget breakdown: Admission is free for all events! You need not worry about anything but filling that tummy up (unless you plan to grab a copy of the #FreshFilterVol1 vinyl at P1,499).
6. Break your P120 bank: Go to the Manila Sundance Flea Market in Eastwood or Belly-sima Food Festival in Glorietta 5!
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Perfect for: those who love local and those who believe that no celebration is complete without food, at a discount or otherwise
Feel free to: forget about your P120-budget! Scour the racks for amazing locally-produced finds at the Manila Sundance Flea Market! Celebrate Philippine independence by supporting homegrown young, talented local entrepreneurs. Head over to the Eastwood Central Plaza from 12 noon to 1:00 AM starting today until Sunday, June 14!
Go on an all-Filipino gourmet and artisanal food trip at Belly-sima Food Festival! Discover the latest concoctions of carefully curated purveyors as they serve gourmet and/or artisanal food products, healthy food options and other unique and innovative homemade creations at the Glorietta 5 Atrium today and tomorrow!
Budget breakdown:
Happy Independence Day, everyone! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
Written by Madeline Castillo
*P120-budget does not include transportation. Not to worry: the Philippines has a plethora of public utility vehicles to get you around. Avoid tricycles, pedicabs and cabs, though. Despite the recent price hike, the MRT is affordable, and so are the other trains. For the ultimate kuripot (stingy) experience, charm one of your friends to drive you around. Or walk.
