Araneta City may very well be one of the Philippines’ busiest metropolises. Known among locals as the City of Firsts, Araneta is a sight to behold in December when the festive season rolls in, birthing many a variety of Christmas trees, decorations and festivals in every corner of its bustling streets.
Many may ask why it is known as the City of Firsts? Filipinos will proudly state that it provides many firsts in urban living such as the place where the iconic Araneta Coliseum was opened in 1960, the New Frontier Theater in 1967 and the Farmers Market in 1974.
The center also introduced the first integrated bus terminal in 1993, the first online ticketing system in 1996, the first air-conditioned floating garden restaurant in 2004 and the first Lazy-Boy movie theater in 2005.
For a group of Fijian journalists (FBC’s Kritika Kumar and Fiji Sun’s Mereleki Nai) invited by the World Health Organisation to attend a media training focused on non-communicable diseases, the City of Firsts was the perfect playground for new experiences.
On December 13, we embarked on a very ambitious expedition to sample the local cuisine, view shopping centres while trying to pick up a bargain on an item or two. Stepping out of the Novotel Manila Araneta City Hotel, it was clear that we did not have a destination in mind.
We simply pointed in a direction and said, ‘let’s go that way’. This ‘no destination in sight’ attitude took us to our first stop – the Farmers Plaza. The plaza — a four-storey building littered with variety stores that offered the customer anything from electronic gadgets, shoes, bags, food and even an electric massage kits for the tired shopper.
To say that we took our time exploring the Farmers Plaza would be an understatement as we spent over five hours, making our way from one level to another. Our first stop — the second level — was filled with electronic stores.
For me, a novice with technology, acquiring Bluetooth earphones was as far as I was willing to go. After leaving the second level, also filled with affordable yet questionable branded clothes, we made our way to the third floor where things took a turn.
After noticing our tired stroll through the stores, a very enthusiastic saleswoman stopped us and offered a free massage using her handheld gadget. What came next was almost 30 minutes of one of the most aggressive sales pitches I have ever witnessed.
We were introduced to Lucas, a 20-something sales manager whose job was to convince foreign shoppers to get free massages before convincing them that the product could also help their ailing relatives.
This formula of making a sale was replicated in shoe shops, bags and wallet shops as we made our way through the rest of the plaza. After almost six hours of venturing through the Farmers Plaza, we decided it was time to take a break before venturing out again later in the evening.
This was another experience where I realised the City of Firsts was certainly a mixture of the good and the bad. The good being the Fiesta Carnival. Returning after a lapse of 20 years, the carnival was every child’s dream.
Filled to the brim with gaming consoles, festive rides and interactive competitions, the carnival was indeed a fiesta for the ages. Another great stop we made was at the amazing Times Square Food Park conveniently placed at the heart of the city where an over 10-foot Christmas tree stood at the center and lit up with every Christmas note it was synced to.
This provided the perfect backdrop for the dozens of food stalls that boasted local delicacies from adobo, chicken inasal, pork barbeque, longaniza and bibinka. My personal favorite was the assortment of blended fruit drinks on offer from rock melon, mango, lime and soursop.
The jaunt into Times Square Food Park was topped off with music from the dancing Christmas tree as we enjoyed our dinner.
As our night slowly came to a close, while walking back to the Novotel Manila, we realised that crossing the streets of Araneta City could be a whole competition of ‘who breaks the rule first’.
I was very shocked to see how pedestrians and drivers had little to no care for the red and green lights at each crossing.
Despite this flaw, I wondered at the origins of this bustling metropolis, especially how it came to be in the first place.
I later learned it was founded by a visionary Filipino businessman named Jesus Amado Araneta, known for pioneering major business development projects in the Philippines.
Following his death in 1985, his son – Jorge Araneta – has been at the helm of the Araneta Group.
Today, the group’s 12,000 strong workforce commits itself to creating a progressive and diversified group of companies anchored on property development, food service, leisure and hospitality.
After finding out about this vision by the city’s forefathers, it was easy to see why Araneta will long be called the City of Firsts.
Background
A group of Fijian journalists were invited by the World Health Organisation to be part of this year’s Probe Media Foundation-run program on the reporting of non-communicable diseases in Manila, Philippines.
The Fijians were part of a group of media professionals invited by the WHO from four countries,including Cambodia, China and the Philippines, under the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Countries) Reporting program.
