Walking In A Circle: An Afternoon In the Park

For a long time, the Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) had a not-so-pleasant reputation. The central park of Quezon City and the home to former Philippine president Manuel Quezon’s remains, QMC used to bring images of the homeless, prostitutes, and sometimes even solvent abusers to mind. It was a venue for public events, cyclers, and family gatherings, but it remained a neglected part of the city. This is rather ironic because the City Hall is just a stone’s throw away from the park.

technically, it is an ellipse, not a circle!

That however eventually changed when sometime in the mid 2000s, the city government decided to renovate a big portion of the said park. The park became literally brighter (more lampposts were erected), cleaner, spacious, and more vibrant. As years passed, it also added more facilities and features which the public could enjoy such as playgrounds, fountains, rides and arcades, even paddle boats, and a zipline. It has now become a legitimate park!

an underpass was built to bridge the road and the park. it is well lit and well guarded. the walls also serve as sort of a museum gallery. this is probably the nicest underpass i've seen in the metro.

So when one Friday afternoon when I was feeling a bit down and was not in the mood to handle naughty children at work, I decided to leave earlier than usual and spend my time at the QMC. I just needed some time to feel the sun and the wind on my skin, and worry about how to get good angles for my photographs and nothing else. I bought a cone of dirty ice cream and just watched the day pass by.

The monument of Quezon consists of three 66-meter (his age when he died) vertical pylons symbolizing the country’s main islands – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. On top are three mourning angels holding Sampaguita (Philippines’ national flower) wreaths.*

the circular structure contains a gallery and Quezon's catafalque

the base has relief carvings depicting important points in Philippine history

the main facade of the park's amusement area where children and adults alike can enjoy different rides and booths. there is another part of the park called the Circle of Joy, where a large playground, zipline, and paddle boats are located, on the other hand.

the renovated promenade facing Philcoa

a small pool where the "baby fountains" are. the bigger ones are at the end of the promenade facing Philcoa.

some common sights at the park…

a taho vendor. taho is a popular food usually eaten in the morning or in the afternoon made with silken tofu (comparable to a soft custard), caramel, and tapioca pearls;

... people walking their dogs,

... dirty ice cream' (sorbetes) vendor. it's not really dirty! it is called as such because it is peddled in street carts and not in nicely packaged plastic containers one can easily purchase from supermarkets. they usually come in three flavors -- ube (yam), cheese, or chocolate. there are other flavors but these are the most common;