Manila: the Melting Pot

It seems that almost every day a new skyscraper is sprouting up. With its population of nearly 12 million, Manila is among the top 10 biggest cities in the world. It is one of the fastest growing metropolis on the planet, with ultra-modern business centres springing up on every street corner.
“Manila’s skyline is varied, it’s a multifaceted skyline. Manila is a metropolis, which originates at the place where the Pasig river goes into Manila bay. That’s where you have the old city. Manila grew from there. It’s a radiant city,” says architect Dominic Galicia.
A growing number of people are moving to the capital from rural areas to try their luck. This colourful and bustling city has a very young population – the average age is 23.
A new generation of creative minds is leaving its mark on the cityscape. Among them is fashion designer Oliver Tolentino. He is always on the move but returns frequently to Manila, seeking fresh inspiration. He is a strong believer in eco-couture: the materials he uses, such as pineapple fiber and water-lily leaves, all come from the Philippines.
“I grew up in the region with all the tropical flowers, the beautiful scenery, the beautiful beaches. I show a very colourful collection where you can see the tradition, the heritage of being a Filipino,” says the designer.
Oliver Tolentino sees himself as an ambassador of eco-friendly fashion made in the Philippines and has many fans in Hollywood.
“I consider myself as part of a new generation and I really want to serve as an inspiration for the future designers here, in the Philippines,” he told us.
Like him, many Filipinos take pride in promoting their country abroad.
Manila has also caught the interest of a growing number of foreign investors. The Philippines now ranks as one of the world’s most promising newly-industrialised countries with strong performances in the electronics and service sectors. But it is not just about numbers.
“Foreign investors, when they take a decision to invest, look at a number of things: how hospitable is the environment, for example. Having lived in the Philippines for more than 15 years, I can say that this is a very hospitable country. Secondly, the human resources in the Philippines: companies will have access to a large pool of excellent English-speaking workers. That’s another big advantage of this country,” said Asian Development Bank country director, Neeraj K Jain.
Its rich history has provided the country with a unique cultural heritage. For 300 years, the Philippines belonged to the Spanish crown – many vestiges are still visible in the old city or Intramuros.
After the Spanish reign, a new country took over: the United States. After World War II, the Americans left behind their military jeeps. Locals found a way of recycling them, by stripping them down and altering them in order to accommodate more passengers. Metal roofs and vibrant colours were added, and the jeepney was born.
To this day, it remains the most popular and the cheapest means of transport in the Philippines.
Ed Sarao has a special relationship to the Jeepney. His father founded the legendary Sarao Motors brand. Up to this day, his vehicles are handmade, with much attention to detail.
“No two Jeepneys are alike if you look at the streets of Manila. It’s like a tailor-made suit. You can ask for anything you want to be thrown in. It’s public transportation, it’s also a pop culture icon for Filipinos,” explained Ed Sarao, co-owner of Sarao Motors Inc.
In the next edition of “Philippine Life”, we leave the city behind to travel to the country’s most famous island of Boracay. This popular holiday destination has become a mecca for wind and kite surfers. Among the events we will be covering – the annual Dragon Boat Festival.
This David and Goliath tale pitches an international real-estate project against a group of local citizens. The one billion euro development plan by controversial Israeli businessman Aaron Frenkel and Australian golfing legend Greg Norman is Croatia’s largest greenfield investment. They want to build a massive luxury golfing complex up on the hillside. It’s part of the Croatian government’s drive to invest heavily in tourism to boost its embattled economy.
Down in the historic city of Dubrovnic, opposition is strong. Many among the city’s 40.000 inhabitants object to the creation of an exclusive real estate resort for wealthy jet-setters up on the plateau, fearing it will threaten the scenic beauty and identity of their city. Opponents also worry that it will represent an environmental hazard, arguing that works needed to bring water to the golf park could cause massive damage to the environment. They say the project is not about golf but about real estate speculation, that will turn one third of Dubrovnik’s public space over to private development and won’t bring any financial gain to the people of the town. Critics denounce a conflict of interest between public and private investors, in a country where corruption runs deep.
But the mayor of Dubrovnic, whose brother runs a construction business, supports the project, saying it will bring hundreds of new jobs. The Golf Park Dubrovnik Project is headed by Frenkel’s wife, Maya Frenkel, a former Croatian deputy minister of the economy. She says the country badly needs this kind of investment and denies accusations of corruption, adding that investors have been faced with bureaucratic hurdles in a country not yet used to this kind of large-scale project.
In this series, we will be discovering the most amazing places in the largest country on Earth, where life sometimes resembles a theatre – and a theatre can tell a lot about Russian Life.
At St Petersburg’s Mariinski Theatre, there is rehearsal every morning. With more than 150 years of opera and ballet performances, the world-renowned theatre is a celebrated symbol of Russia’s northern capital.
“I can’t imagine St Petersburg without the Mariinsky Theatre, as I can’t imagine this theater anywhere else but in St Petersburg. The two are the same,” says tenor Yevgeny Akimov..
Production designer Isabella Bywater is enchanted by the city:
“I’ve done a lot of walking around St Petersburg, and it’s beautiful, it’s melancholy, it’s dirty, and I love it!”
“This is my home theatre, this is my home city. The Mariinsky is my life!,” says prima ballerina Diana Vishneva.
Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, Saint Petersburg sees itself as Russia’s cultural capital.
Tradition is kept alive at the Mariinsky Theatre with its constellation of opera and ballet stars, producers and designers.
“We try to make everything by hand, because that really allows you put your heart into your creation,” says Ludmila Mekhonoshina, head of the stage scenery art department at the Mariinsky Theatre.
Curtain sets and other scenery are made in the rooftop hall before being lowered onto the main stage, where masterpieces by Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov were premiered.
“This is the theatre where Russian opera was born and thrived. It’s like La Scala for the Italians – a stage that’s a focal point for everything great – that’s what the Mariinsky Theatre is, not just for St Petersburg but for Russia as a whole,” says stage director Vasily Barkhatov.
In the wardrobe department, they are never short of work – creating stage costumes for up to a dozen premieres each season.
Many foreign designers come to Saint Petersburg to see their creations come to life. Isabella Bywater is one of them:
“I’ve worked in places where nobody cares about production anymore, because it’s just like factory producing. We produce a lot of works, but I never feel like I’m working in a factory. There’s a kind of unembarrassed enthusiasm for creativity, which is a real joy,” she says.
By the evening, the stage is set for another performance.
“Boris Godunov”, an opera by Modest Mussorgsky based on Alexander Pushkin’s tragedy, has been running here since the 19th century.
For this new production, British director Graham Vick sets the classical plot in modern Russia, contemplating decades of turbulent power struggle, social injustice and brutality following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“Well, it actually does look like that from abroad. Whether we like it or not. This is how we, Russians, are today,” says bass-baritone Yevgeny Nikitin.
As the golden age of Russian culture keeps shaping its national identity, its classical heritage remains as pertinent as ever.
“Human nature doesn’t change that much: it’s the same today as what it was three centuries ago. Power, vanity, greed. History is always repeating itself,” says baritone Alexei Markov.
Join us for the next edition of Russian Life from the Caucasus Mountains.
The land of Azerbaijan is rich in wonders, among them the soothing oils of Naftalan. Its benefits can be enjoyed at resorts around the city and people have going there to bathe in the oil since the time of the caravans.
Naftalan is a rare type of non-combustible oil. Local doctors prescribe it to treat skin diseases, back problems, rheumatism, arthritis and anxiety. Each warm bath is limited to 10 minutes, just long enough to allow the oil to be absorbed by the skin.
“Naftalan is a very rich in resin petroleum,” explained Hurshudhanum Namazalieva, the chief medical officer at the Chinar Hotel resort.
“It doesn’t contain any paraffin, or any light elements, such as gasoline. It goes directly into the blood, which stabilises killer cells. They are stimulated by the Naftalan molecules and this improves blood circulation and provides nutrition to any unhealthy organs.”
Some patients claim their chronic diseases were cured. Bathing in the warm oil is like swimming in hot chocolate, they say.
“I have a spinal disc hernia and I had severe pain,” said resort visitor Elena Chelnakova. “After just four or five baths, I felt so much better. I didn’t expect such a fast improvement.”
The first resorts opened in 1929 and were popular among the Soviet elite. However, the healing capacities of Naftalan were discovered much earlier. In the 13th century, Marco Polo described a local oil used to treat skin problems.
The moment of discovery is the subject of legend, according to Musammeddin Gulmaliev, adviser to the mayor of Naftalan: “Once a caravan passed here, and one man decided to get rid of his sick camel and threw him it into an oil pool. On the way back, he found his camel not just alive, but totally healed.”
It is also said the ancient caravan travellers knew of another Azeri natural cure – volcano mud. The land of fire has more than 300 mud volcanoes, more than any other country in the world. They all have different shapes, names and characters. One of the most picturesque, Dashgil, is in Gobustan.
Adil Aliev, the head of the Mud Volcano Department at Azerbaijan’s Institute of Geology, told euronews the mud spurts up from a depth of up to 12km: “This mud is rich in various curative elements and minerals; more than half of the periodic table of elements can be found in volcano mud. That’s why it’s widely used in medicine.”
Every volcano has its own unique cocktail of mud components. The names of the volcanoes that provide the mud for the creams and masks and the other ingredients are kept strictly secret by the manufacturers.
“Volcanic mud has whitening, anti-inflammatory and regenerating capabilities. Volcanic mud stimulates the skin to fight signs of aging, as well as its immunity,” said Leyla Dadasheva, the head of scientific research laboratory Gazelli Group.
The volcano mud is a source of energy for marathon runner Artem Alyev. He lives in Baku but comes to Gobustan all year round to train on the rugged terrain and bathe in the mud. Gas in the mud makes it buoyant and the bather feels like they are floating in space.
At a chilly but invigorating two degrees Celsius, Artem says the mud prevents him from getting sick: “I feel the beauty of Azerbaijan’s nature. I feel light and wonderfully flexible, and at the same time I feel an incredible freshness, like nowhere else on Earth.”
Our reporter Galina Polonskaya finished her odyssey around Azerbaijan at the crater of one of the biggest mud volcanoes in the country. “But there’s so much more we could show you,” she said. “If you want to know more take a look at my blog on the euronews website.
Towering mountains and an untouched landscape as far as the eye can see – in this edition of Macedonian Life we discover an idyllic countryside and learn about traditional fishing on Lake Dojran. But reporter Katrina Kaun started her adventure with a hike through the Matka canyon, descending into its mystical cave.
Just 30 minutes from the capital Skopje lies this jewel of Macedonian nature. It is one of the locals’ favorite outdoor destinations and has a rich flora and fauna.
“The Matka canyon is home to a wide variety of animals and plants, some of which are endemic species – you can only find them here,” says local cave diver Kiro Angeleski.
“The name Matka means womb, creation of life. The atmosphere is somehow mystical and full of positive cosmic energy. People feel relaxed when they come here.”
The Treska river meandering lazily through the canyon is a majestic sight. Among the many hidden treasure here is the famous Vrelo cave.
Millions of years of erosion have produced this geological marvel, carving out weird and wonderful stalactites. But the most stunning part lies underwater. Experts believe it could be the deepest underwater cave in the world.
Kiro Angeleski was the first Macedonian diver to explore it.
“When you enter the darkness it’s like going into another world,” he says. “It’s a tense feeling and you’re extremely concentrated because there’s no room for mistakes when you are diving in a dark cave.”
Kiro took part in a special expedition four years ago, involving an international team of divers and speleologists. Exploring the cavernous interior world famous Italian cave diver Luigi Casati set a new record, going to a depth of 212 meters.
“When I dive in this underwater cave I always have mixed feelings, all at the same time: fear, happiness joy and excitement,” says Kiro.
Back in daylight we make our way to another enchanting place; the Dojran lake on the border with Greece. Although the country’s smallest tectonic lake is only 10 meters deep it’s brimming with life. It is considered one of Europe’s most life-rich lakes, teeming with 15 different types of fish.
Tome Baltakov has lived in Dojran all his life. The 82- year-old worked for over 40 years as a fisherman. Now he’s passing on his knowledge.
“A fisherman on his own can’t be a fisherman,” he says .“You always need to be two, it’s teamwork. One is throwing the net into the water and the second one is rowing. We have to pull in the net with 30 to 80 kilos of fish and then we take the catch back to the hut.”
In the winter some fish are still caught in the traditional way, using birds such as cormorants. The fish flee before the diving birds and swim towards the nets. Today Gyorgi Stojanov fishes the modern way.
“In the evenings we go out onto the lake and throw the nets into the water and the next day, before sunrise, we pull the nets up,” he tells us. “We take them to the hut, clean the fish and prepare the nets for the next catch.”
Gyorgi goes out on the lake every day, but, he says, it not an easy task: “The life of the fisherman is hard because during the winter we have wind and ice and during the summer we are working in the heat, but I like that very much and it gives me a lot of energy.”
Our journey is now at an end – it has taken us through the world of Macedonian cuisine to the ancient city of Ohrid, passing through the natural paradise of the Matka-canyon and lake Dojran. If you would like to see any of our reports again, check out our website.