The Escolta Block Festival is the latest iteration of the annual celebration of Manila’s culture, history, and future. No longer a one night affair, the festival is a month-long event dedicated to the vision of making Filipino cities work.
On its inaugural year, the festival explores the theme “Future Forward”. As a street with so much history, it also holds a massive potential to influence and shape how cities will be built and retrofitted in the far future.
The festival was kicked off last weekend with the opening of the block market, talks on how we can improve our cities, a parade for the late Carlos Celdran, and a rocking show care of San Miguel Beer and Terno bands— UDD, Giniling Festival, AOUI, Lenses.
There are still heaps of talks, parties, parades, tours, and more in store throughout the month. Here’s some of the programs you can look forward to at the EBF!
PROGRAM LIST:
ALIENATED SPACES W/ LEEROY NEW
“Alienated Spaces” is a collaboration between artist Leeroy New and urban planner Julia Nebrija. In the fight for more public spaces, it is said that there’s simply no more space in Metro Manila to make into a places that people can enjoy, but wandering around you see places that are degraded, waiting to be transformed. Other spaces are being wedged further and further to the edge, though suffering from disinvestment and are used by a largely voiceless majority. This mixed-media exhibit is a journey into the neglected corners of the city in an effort to contextualize the public realm.
November 16, 2019 – 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM @ ESCOLTA STREET
BAYBAYIN WORKSHOP WITH CQPH*
CQPH’s baybayin program is based on the first, and earliest, Spanish documents with baybayin translations. The workshop will let participants learn about evidence-backed historical informa- tion about the script and writing the baybayin syllabary. November 19, 2019 – 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM @ ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA STREET
November 23, 2019 – 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM @ ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA STREET
(*REQUIRES REGISTRATION W/ LIMITED SLOTS)
THE BLOCK BAKERY
The Block Bakery is a counterpoint to the rapid expansion of franchise coffee shops and co-work- ing spaces by reintroducing food and the act of communal dining as social anchors and central to community building, as opposed to just an afterthought. The pop-up will offer a full pastry case by Baker on East, a bread program by 28 Derby, and a full drinks program by Jacob’s Well.
November 16, 2019 – 10:00AM – 5:00 PM – @ ESCOLTA ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA
November 17, 2019 – 10:00AM – 5:00 PM @ ESCOLTA ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA
November 23, 2019 – 9:00AM – 6:00 PM @ ESCOLTA ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA
November 24, 2019 – 10:00AM – 6:00 PM @ ESCOLTA ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA
November 30, 2019 – 9:00AM – 6:00 PM @ ESCOLTA ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA
CIVIC SATURDAYS: OPEN LIBRARY + FULLY BOOKED POP-UP
This Civic Saturdays edition will encourage citizens to explore urban topics by reading books in the studio library and purchasing books in a special reading list for urbanists in partnership with fully booked.
November 30, 2019 – 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM @ PEOPLE MAKE CITIES!, ESCOLTA
COLORS OF MANILA: W/ CQPH**
This program by CQPH is a winding tour through Quiapo. A hub for trade and cultural exchange, Quiapo houses almost all the beliefs of Filipinos which makes it the best place to visit if you truly want to get to know our people. This journey will feature folk medicine, halal food, side street markets, a unique sampling of flavors from the provinces of Mindanao, and discussions on what it is like to be a Muslim in a predominantly Catholic country.
November 23, 2019 – 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM @ ESCOLTA – QUIAPO
(REQUIRES REGISTRATION W/ LIMITED SLOTS)
DRAFT: PORTFOLIO REVIEWS
The Manila Creative Exchange with One Zero Design Co invites young architects and designers, 28 years old and below to submit 3 of their best works for Draft, an architectural portfolio review downtown in Escolta, Manila.
Draft aims to be a platform for young architects to gain insight from industry leaders. Five portfo- lios will be chosen to be peer-reviewed by three mentors in a casual exchange of techniques and experiences gathered in their design practice.
November 19, 2019 – 1:00 PM – 05:00 PM @ 5TH FLR FUB
FILM IN THE CITY, FILM AS THE CITY: W/ RICHARD BOLISAY*
Film critic Richard Bolisay will discuss how Filipino films have depicted the state of cities and its communities, and how cities have become characters themselves.
November 23, 2019 – 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM @ FIRST COWORKING, 5TH FLR FUB (REQUIRES REGISTRATION W/ LIMITED SLOTS)
GAYBORHOOD W/ PINEAPPLE LAB
PineappleLab will bring its famed queer talent showcase to The Escolta Block Festival for one night. Gayborhood will feature performances by queer artists, DJs, and performers with special guests. There’s also the fun Palarong PamBakla in between sets.
November 16, 2019 – 6:00 PM – 12:00 MN @ ESCOLTA STREET
GLOBE PRESENTS LIFESMITH: ESCOLTA CRAWL W/ IVAN MAN DY**
Ivan Man Dy, the two feet behind the outfit Old Manila Walks takes you on a curated walk around Binondo to explore this centuries-old neighbor- hood. Learn about the Chinatown’s heritage, visit historic buildings, taste her culinary treats and meet the eclectic communities — from Tsinoy conservatives to creative visionaries — who have called and now call this neighborhood home.
November 16, 2019 – 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM @ ESCOLTA – BINONDO (REQUIRES REGISTRATION W/ LIMITED SLOTS)
GLOBE PRESENTS LIFESMITH: HYDROPONICS WORKSHOP W/ URBAN GREENS*
Hydroponics Workshop is a hands-on experience that lets participants learn about growing plants without soil. The workshop explains the advantages of urban farming through hydroponics, as well as the challenges faced by the Philippine farm sector and how hydroponics can help. A hands-on demo will show how to grow hydropon- ic plants with a mini hydroponic kit, which includes a jar, net pot, growing medium, hydro-ponic nutrients, seeds.
November 23, 2019 – 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM @ PEOPLE MAKE CITIES!, 5TH FLR FUB (REQUIRES REGISTRATION W/ LIMITED SLOTS)
GLOBE PRESENTS LIFESMITH: LIVE BY DESIGN*
Live by Design is a series of talks focused on the intersection of various design disciplines, from graphic design, interior design, architecture to service design. In this edition of Live by Design will look at practices in architecture, community design, and cultural spaces by groups and design firms outside Metro Manila to see how design is deeply connected to its geographical context.
November 30, 2019 – 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM @ FIRST COWORKING, 5TH FLR FUB (REQUIRES REGISTRATION W/ LIMITED SLOTS)
PROTO: AN OBJECT FAIR
In a society where we take everyday objects for granted: Proto is a response to hyper consumption. From furniture, toys, office-wares to modular storage solutions, this two-day fair celebrates everything hand-made. No booths, no middle-men, only a platform for craftsmanship to take the center stage.
November 17, 2019 – 11:00 AM – 05:00 PM @ FIRST COWORKING, 5TH FLR FUB November 24, 2019 – 11:00 AM – 05:00 PM @ FIRST COWORKING, 5TH FLR FUB
TIPONG PILIPINO: A TYPOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
The best local design studios and designers will be challenged to interpret the festival’s theme of “Future Forward” while taking inspiration from local folk typography. The exhibit stems from the question: How do we ensure that what makes a city look Filipino doesn’t get lost? A developing metropolis like Manila cannot evade modernity and globalization. Though these forces bring about solutions that work in other cities abroad, they may also cause the erosion of what makes a Filipino city Filipino. LAUNCH | November 16, 2019 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM @ ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA
TALK | November 23, 2019 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM @ ESCOLTA EXCHANGE, ESCOLTA
UNSOLICITED: IMPRINTS
First, Escolta Superblocks imagines a future where the city skyline is dominated by skyscrap- ers. At a time when our built heritage is slowly eroding to conform to a commercially defined architectural environment, how will downtown Manila fare in this age of blind globalization? Escolta Superblocks visualizes a district devoid of its identity: conforming to “global best practices” and “state of the art” urban design much like in “first world” cities where sprawl and tall buildings become the norm, but at what cost? In contrast, is an unsolicited architectural proposal focusing on the adaptive reuse of the following buildings: Roman Santos Building, Sta.Cruz Building, First United Building, Regina Building, Burke Building and Gonzalo Puyat (Syvels) Building. This “future” explores and identifies complementary urban programs that will help “regenerate” a neighborhood teeming with rich heritage.
November 12, 2019 – 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM @ @ ONE/ZERO, 5TH FLR 5TH FLR FIRST UNITED BUILDING
The Escolta Block Festival is brought to you by The Manila Creative Exchange (TMCX) in partnership with Globe. It’s official drink sponsor is San Miguel Beer.
