Sun.Star Davao - The Manila Baywalk

Sun.Star Davao - The Manila Baywalk

IF YOU'RE in Manila and needs a nice, inexpensive place to while away a late afternoon or an early evening and really enjoy it, try The Baywalk.

The Baywalk is actually the promenade along Roxas Boulevard by the Manila Bay, which had been avoided by people for decades for being a blight where bag snatchers, pickpockets, and cheap prostitutes abound--a virtual muggers' paradise, according to columnist Conrado de Quiros

Now for Manila visitors from the provinces who don't have the means to splurge in the giant malls, classy resto bars and posh cafe's of Ortigas, Glorietta, Greenbelt and Rockwell in Makati, and the Eastwood in Libis, Baywalk is the best place to be. You get entertained and fed to your hearts' content at only 20 to 30 percent of the usual prices.

Enjoying The Baywalk was one of the exciting things we did last summer, courtesy of Globe Telecom, which invited us to a virtual junket to Laguna, Tagaytay City and other tourists spots near Manila after covering the Globe's annual stockholders meeting.

The fantastic project rose three years ago as part of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza's multi-billion peso program to reinvigorate the nation's premier city.

Bernie Ang, an undefeated opposition councilor, representing Binondo, thinks that the Baywalk is "one of the best things that have happened to the great effort to halt the urban decay of Manila."

After beautifying the place and making it safe for promenaders, the Baywalk started to teem with humanity--from 30,000 to 40,000 people on week days and three times as many on weekends and holidays--to view the world famous sunset by Manila Bay, savor the local and international cuisine served by about two dozens eateries, actually branches of Manila's big restaurants, and enjoy the music provided by live bands (Each restaurant has one such band).

To give us an idea of the brisk commerce in the area, especially the spot fronting the Rajah Sulayman Park beside the old but still extremely popular Aristocrat restaurant, Councilor Ang said one eatery has an average sale of between P50,000 to P80,000 a day, which starts at 3 p.m. and knocks off at 3 a.m.

On Valentine's Day, the average income of each restaurant was P200,000, according to Councilor Ang, who operates Yakitori, one of the eateries.

The area is very peaceful, although strangely one can't see a single uniformed policeman. Beggars and hookers are banned, but hundreds of manicurists, massagists, shoeshine boys and even street clowns, jugglers, mimes and magicians are allowed to do their acts to the delight of children and adults alike.

Councilor Ang, who is a close friend of Davao City Vice Mayor Louie Bonguyan, estimates that the promenade must be directly employing more than a thousand Manilans as cooks, kitchen attendants, waiters and waitresses, guards, errand boys, janitors and musicians.